Tainted Love
by HellaCullen
Summary: Bella endures life with an extremely religious father. Edward suffers from an abusive home. Find out what happens when they get together and life becomes too real. Not every story has a happy ending. AU/AH, lots of angst and drama.
1. Prologue

**Warning: ****This story contains dark themes such as violence and substance abuse. It's not a happy fairytale, so don't read on unless you can handle intense heartache.**

**Special Thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help!**

**All of these characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended.**

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**"In Your Eyes"**

love I get so lost, sometimes  
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart  
when I want to run away  
I drive off in my car  
but whichever way I go  
I come back to the place you are

all my instincts, they return  
and the grand facade, so soon will burn  
without a noise, without my pride  
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes  
the light the heat  
in your eyes  
I am complete  
in your eyes  
I see the doorway to a thousand churches  
in your eyes  
the resolution of all the fruitless searches  
in your eyes  
I see the light and the heat  
in your eyes  
oh, I want to be that complete  
I want to touch the light  
the heat I see in your eyes

love, I don't like to see so much pain  
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away  
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival  
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

and all my instincts, they return  
and the grand facade, so soon will burn  
without a noise, without my pride  
I reach out from the inside

in your eyes  
the light the heat  
in your eyes  
I am complete  
in your eyes  
I see the doorway to a thousand churches  
in your eyes  
the resolution of all the fruitless searches  
in your eyes  
I see the light and the heat  
in your eyes  
oh, I want to be that complete  
I want to touch the light,  
the heat I see in your eyes  
in your eyes in your eyes  
in your eyes in your eyes  
in your eyes in your eyes

**Prologue**

I stood there, for what seemed like an eternity, watching the snow fall all around me. Here I was, five whole years later, in disbelief that the world had not stopped turning. I was here and I had survived it. In fact, nothing in me was broken whatsoever; nothing except for my heart. I had gone from despair to bitter, and now I was simply numb.

I couldn't help but think of these things, and my memories of him, while watching the snow fall from the sky. I remembered how it felt when he held me. Then, I remembered how it felt when he left. I also remembered what had followed. I had done so many reckless things; anything just to be able to feel something. It was the only way to know that I was still alive. Most of all, I remembered that there was a time in my life when I was wanted and I was loved. It was all so…_pure_.

That's what the snow does. Snow makes everything pure.

Everything that is, except for me.

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**This is my first fan fiction piece, and I would love some reviews! **

**Thanks!**


	2. New Beginnings

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta**

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As I reached over to stop the vicious wailing of my alarm clock, realization hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my first day at a new school. I was very excited to enter this new world of freedom and possibilities. I was also very much scared to death. My mind was still reeling from all of the events that had led up to this day. For the past few years I had been stuck at St. Mary's, a Catholic school for girls. It was such a horrible place and I didn't fit in with any of the people there. Everyone was so cruel, including the teachers. Most of the students were sent there because they were bad kids. I wasn't bad though. My dad, Charlie, had put me there after my mom had up and left us for some guy she met on the internet. The strange part was that we were not even Catholic! He just freaked out and put me on some sort of religious lockdown. Since then our home had turned into some kind of silent, holy shrine designed to protect us from some unknown force of evil.

I had tried my best to comply with his rules in the beginning, but it had gotten harder and harder every year. I was sixteen now; ready to find myself and live a little more like a normal teenage girl would. I had executed what I like to think was a brilliantly orchestrated plan to get myself expelled from there. Charlie was left with no choice but to enroll me in Forks High, the local public school. He wasn't happy about it, to say the least, but still it was happening.

I, Bella Swan, was about to have a new beginning.

I slowly made my way towards the kitchen, quickly realizing that I was way too nervous to eat anything. Instead, I grabbed a bottle of juice, and headed out the door. Charlie hadn't allowed me to start driving yet, so I had to wait outside for the bus. As the big, yellow monster approached the curb, I took a deep breath and tried to find my courage.

It was show time.

I got off the bus feeling completely overwhelmed. I had never seen anything like it. This place was so big! Back at St. Mary's there was one room with a desk that I stayed at all day. This place had all of these different hallways and classrooms to try to keep up with. I wasn't even going to try and find my locker just yet. I hope that I would be able to locate a bathroom when the time was appropriate. Forget the schedule because what I needed right now was a navigation device.

I found my first two classes easily and made it through them uneventfully. After a few wrong turns, I finally found my way into my third period Biology class that was already in progress. My entrance into the room brought everything to an abrupt halt as all eyes suddenly fell upon me.

The teacher turned away from the board to face me. "You must be Ms. Swan. I am Mrs. Cole. I have an empty seat available over there towards the back."

I quickly assessed the situation. No one really looked unfriendly at least. In fact, there was this one pixie-looking girl next to the empty seat who was waving frantically as if she would just combust if I did not sit next to her. This struck me as a bit odd, considering this was the only possible place for me to sit, but I appreciated the welcome nonetheless.

"Hi! I'm Alice!" she chirped as she motioned towards the empty seat."You get to sit next to me! Ooh! I like your necklace!"

"Um, hi Alice…and thanks. My name's Bella," I said, approaching her with caution. She was a bit much to take in at once.

"Bella, that's a pretty name," she added, grabbing my book and flipping to the appropriate page. "We're on page 78 today; blood typing. Cool huh?"

"Yeah, I guess…and thanks again," I responded sheepishly. It was the best reply that I could come up with. This was already so different from St. Mary's. Of course, that was just what I was banking on. Still, as much as I wanted to make friends, I wasn't sure quite how to act. I suppose the best thing to do was to just be myself.

This will be a lot simpler once I figured out just who that is.

I looked around at all of the faces in the room, noticing that they all looked pretty normal. Surely, I could fit in and be like them in no time. Best not to over think it I suppose. I'm sure they didn't have it all figured out either.

Mrs. Cole quickly resumed her lesson and I was able to concentrate on that for the remainder of class. When the bell finally rang, Alice was out of her seat and instantly at my heels.

"So, Bella, you want to have lunch with me?" she coaxed as she latched onto my arm and flashed me a hopeful smile.

"Sure, lead the way!" I answered, feeling a wave of relief. Lunch was not a task I was looking forward to tackling on my own.

As soon as I spoke the words I felt my stomach tighten. The high school cafeteria was a major social scene that I was about to join. I was both panicked and thrilled at the same time. Surely, I could handle this. Besides, I had my new friend to help me make my entrance. As friendly as this girl was, one could only assume that she knew everyone in the whole school. She had to be well liked too. From what I had seen so far I seriously doubt if she would allow someone to not like her.

"So, where are you from?" Alice asked causally as we made our way down the hall. It was one question that I had not prepared myself to answer beforehand. I suppose it was only natural for everyone to assume that I was new in town as well as in school.

"Um, I'm from…right here" I replied, a bit unsure of my answer. For a second I actually considered telling her that I was fresh out of prison, but I didn't want to sound overly dramatic or anything.

"Oh, then why are you just now starting school?" Alice asked, continuing her interrogation.

_Was she serious?_ This girl was something else.

"I transferred from St. Mary's. I've been there for what seemed like forever," I explained as my mind flashed back to my lengthy prison sentence. _It certainly had felt like a prison sentence at least._ The only difference was in prison they tend to release you for good behavior. That was certainly not how I had gained my freedom.

Alice's face was suddenly grim with understanding. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she replied with a look of real sympathy on her face. "I've heard about that place. I haven't heard good things either. Why did you wait so long to transfer?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated," I replied vaguely. My smile quickly faded as I recalled the countless attempts at getting out of that school. I just wanted to forget all of it. I was ready for my new life to begin here.

"Well, complicated is interesting so please do continue," Alice encouraged as we approached the cafeteria.

"You see, my Dad forced me to go there. I begged him to take me out of there for years, but nothing worked" I explained as my hands began to figet.

"How did you finally convince him then?" she asked as her eyes grew big with facination.

_Convince him? I suppose that was one way of putting it._

"I didn't really," I began slowly. "I had to make public school the only option."

"Oh, I see...so you..." she said, her voice trailing off as she processed my response.

"I got myself kicked out," I answered before she had time to draw her own conclusions. _Well, so much for leading up to that._ We both were silent for a minute before bursting into careless laughter.

We stumbled into the cafeteria, still laughing over my recent triumph. As soon as we entered, I was overwhelmed once again. The place was as big as the food court in the mall, and filled to the brim with students. I felt like I had just stepped into a battle zone. I noticed a lot of eyes on me as I stood there in the entrance. Both girls and guys were trying to size me up right away. I could only hope that I would measure up to whatever standards they required. It was all a little intimidating.

"Alice," I called out, stopping dead in my tracks. "This place is packed. I'm not sure where to go."

"Bella," she said in the most sincere voice. "You just need to meet a few more people and then you will feel more comfortable. Follow me okay?"

She grabbed my hand and dragged me over to a small table in the corner of the room. I quickly glanced at all of the faces that were staring up at me with welcoming eyes. To my left was a blond girl snuggled up with a big, dark-haired guy. She looked like she had just stepped out of a fashion magazine. From the looks of the guy I could only assume that he made up the school's entire wrestling team.

"Bella, this is Rosalie and Emmet," Alice said gesturing towards the couple. Before I could reply, my attention quickly turned to a blond guy on the other side who was now getting up out of his chair.

With a warm smile, the guy with blond hair pulled out the chair beside me.

"…and this...is Jasper!" she exclaimed as she took his hand into hers.

"Hello, please sit with us," Jasper said as he proceeded to pull out a second chair for Alice followed by a kiss on her cheek. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Jasper was Alice's boyfriend.

"Guys this is Bella. She just transferred from St. Mary's!" Alice informed them with her usual excitement. "She had to get herself kicked out so she could come here!"

She was obviously pleased to have the "scoop" on me. I just smiled and tried in vain to will her to shut up through my mind. I could already feel the heat spreading across my cheeks. That wasn't really the ice-breaker I had in mind. Still, it saved me the trouble of explaining myself.

At that moment, Emmett spoke up. "Alright, a criminal mastermind amongst us!" He roared as he leaned forward to shake my hand. "So, how did you pull that off?"

Okay, well, at least they were taking some interest in me.

"Well...I...umm...I sort of convinced them that I was evil…or something." My cheeks turned bright red as I made my confession. What would they think of me now? The table was silent for a few seconds before everyone burst into laughter. They didn't seem the least bit put off. Maybe this would work out after all.

Emmett sat back down while continuing with his line of questioning. "So, what? Like a possessed vampire or something?" he teased before bursting into laughter.

"Something like that," I replied cooly. The laughter at the table grew even louder. This time, I was laughing with them.

Rosalie's eyes locked with mine and her face broke into a huge grin as she finally joined the conversation. "Well, Bella, we're definitely going to have to put that mind of yours to good use this Halloween. I'm sure you and Eddie could really do some damage if we put your heads together," she announced wickedly.

As happy I was that everyone was talking to me, I had no idea what she was talking about.

"What do you mean? Who is Eddie and what do you do for Halloween?" I inquired, trying to figure out what I was missing. I was definitely intrigued, but felt I was missing a piece of the puzzle. Before she could answer, the happy pixie took control of the conversation again.

"Oh, Eddie is a friend of ours," Alice explained carefully as I soaked up every word. "He's not the most social creature, so he's not around very much, but he comes out of his shell for Halloween. I mean, we all do really. We like to play pranks and create elaborate costumes and stuff like that. It's always a blast."

I was starting to get excited. They were making plans with me. Just like that, I was accepted into their clique. So much different from all of the cruel kids I had grown accustomed to. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. Although, I couldn't help but be aware of the fact that I was the odd man out. My new friends were all couples. Of course, they didn't seem to mind, so I suppose I shouldn't either.

Apparently, there were other members of this group that just weren't here at the moment. One for sure, this Eddie they were talking about, at least. Maybe the numbers wouldn't be so bad. I would just have to wait and see. I wasn't totally opposed to the idea of dating if it were to become a necessary factor to staying in the group. I had a couple of boyfriends in middle school. They weren't very long term and the most intense thing that ever came of it was some innocent hand holding. Still, this was a reinvention process and I needed some time before I could think about that step. I wasn't even sure if Charlie would let allow me to date anyone if I wanted to. He was so controlling. I knew he meant well, but sometimes he acted as if the entire world was out to steal my soul.

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by the warning bell. I gathered my things quickly, to try to give the others some private time for goodbyes. "See you guys later!" I called out to them. With that, I rushed to find my next class.

"Hey, wait up!" Alice chirped as she rushed to catch up to me. I couldn't help but laugh as I noticed her basically dragging Jasper behind her. "Do you want to ride home with me and Jazz today?"

How could I possible say no to that face? She was just too much. Still, I didn't want to intrude. "Well, I was going to ride the bus. I don't want to be a pain," I said as I shot Jasper a questioning look. I had to make sure that I wouldn't be bothering him before I said yes.

"Really, it's not a problem," he responded sincerely. "Besides, I just got a new truck and I want to show it off!"

"Okay then, I'll meet you guys in the parking lot in a little while. Oh, and thanks," I said as I walked into my next class. They both smiled and continued down the hall. I, Bella Swan, had friends. I never thought it would happen so quickly. Maybe this adjustment wouldn't be nearly as hard as I had anticipated.

The rest of the day was somewhat uneventful. I met a ton of people, but couldn't really remember any of their names. The whole day had gone by in a blur and I was now on my way out to meet Jasper and Alice. I had no idea what his truck looked like, so I just waited patiently by the entrance for their arrival. After a few minutes a bright, red truck pulled right up to the door.

"Come on Bella, hop in!" Alice commanded as she leaned her head out of the window. I wished I could be that carefree.

"Hey guys," I greeted as I made my way to the truck. "Sorry, I didn't know which one was…" I stopped as soon as I realized that he was talking on his cell phone. My cheeks burned at the recognition.

"Yeah, well, I was wondering what had happened to you. No, I don't blame you. Detention does suck," Jasper said with a chuckle. "How many is that for you bro? You must be going for the record. Alright Edward, see you later." Jasper clicked the phone shut and turned to acknowledge me. "Hey Bella how did you like that curbside service?" He winked at Alice. She just giggled and laid her head on his shoulder.

"You two sure know how to treat a lady," I replied earnestly, preparing to give them directions. "Take a left at the next light and you'll be on my street. I'm the house at the end of the cul de sac."

"So, what did you think of our little school Bella?" Alice asked enthusiastically, turning her attention to me while Jasper concentrated on driving.

"It was cool I guess. Everyone seemed real nice," I said in an effort to pacify her. "I didn't know what to make of all of the attention."

"Well, you certainly got a lot of attention from the guys anyway," Alice said as she turned to face me. "Did you see anything you liked?"

"Not that I can recall, but I'll be sure to let you know if I do," I added for good measure. I couldn't help but notice her and Jasper exchange a look as I spoke and I wondered why they were concerned with my love life?

Upon arriving at my house, I hopped out of the cab and was followed by Alice. She gave me a big hug and bounced back over to the truck.

"Bye, we'll see you tomorrow!" she called out before closing the door.

"Bye guys," I yelled as I turned to go inside.

It had been a good day. I couldn't remember how long it had been since I had one of those.

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**Thanks for reading! I look forward to your reviews.**


	3. Home

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Speacial thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help**

I was extremely relieved when I got home that afternoon. I felt a real sense of accomplishment. In one day I had managed to lay the ground work for a new and improved life. No more uniforms, no more rulers, and no more crucifixes. I was Bella Swan, normal teenage girl with normal, teenage friends; a whole group of them to be exact. I was beaming as I looked at the new me in the mirror. My world was suddenly filled with endless possibilities.

I looked at the clock. I had at least two more hours at least before Charlie would be home. I pulled out a carefully hidden CD from under my mattress and made my way into the living room. There was no stereo since Charlie didn't allow music, so I would have to make do with the DVD player and surround sound. I turned the volume up as high as it would go, and the room was suddenly filled with the thrashing sound of power chords. I couldn't help but bang my head and jump around the living room. This was quite possibly the best day I had ever known! Nothing could bring me down from the cloud that I was on. I continued on this way until I was dizzy and out of breath.

After my few minutes of fun, I knew it was time to load the washing machine and start dinner. As I made my way into the kitchen, I cringed at the memory of his face when he realized that I had been expelled. It was a mixture of shock, embarrassment, disgust, and hurt. It was almost bad enough to make me regret what I had done. But, no matter how bad it hurt him, I couldn't stay in that place another day. I had suffered in silence for too many years now. I knew that I either had to start living, or wither up and die.

I chose to live.

Before I knew it, the CD had ended and the dryer buzzed. Dinner was nearly finished, giving me just enough time before Charlie was going to be home to hide the evidence. I made my way back into the living room and quickly removed the CD from the DVD player. I could never let Charlie find out about my music. He would just flip out, or maybe worse. I really didn't want to know what conclusions he might come to. Most of all, I didn't want to disappoint him any more than I already had.

"Bells, I'm home!" Charlie yelled as he made his way through the living room. I put on my best game face and made my way to greet him.

"Hey dad," I answered in my most innocent voice. "Dinner is almost ready."

That would be the extent of our initial conversation. My dad was not a man of many words. He was just always kind of there. The only time he showed any emotion at all was in prayer. I didn't understand what his deal was.

_Oh well, whatever._

I went back into the kitchen and set the table for us. He sat down and silently waited as I served the meal. I took my seat across from him, bowed my head, and waited. I knew better than to move until he had asked the blessing for our dinner.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable chewing, Charlie finally started a conversation.

"Well, school was fine then?" he questioned, his tone sounding more like a statement than a question.

"It was...good," I answered hesitantly, trying to think of an appropriate way to tell him how wonderful the day had been.

"You made friends with them I suppose" he said, definately more like a statement.

"I really only made one friend," I began softly. "Her name is Alice. She's an honor student," I added in an attempt to ease him into the idea painlessly.

"What kind of person is this Alice?" He demanded, eyeing me carefully.

Now that was a question for sure. Of course, I knew he wasn't so much taking an interest in my friends as he was trying to eliminate a potential problem.

"Umm, she's Presbyterian, Dad," I responded carefully.

_Did that sound good?_

I wasn't sure what he was getting at exactly. I was just assuming that my answer would provide him some peace of mind. I had heard the name, but had no idea where I had gotten that from. I would just have to remember to warn her in case she ever met my dad.

"I guess that's good then," he replied nonchalantly.

With that, he was done. I'm sure that the whole thing was weighing on him and there would probably be many more discussions about Alice in the future. For now though I knew he was satisfied with that.

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Later that night I lay in bed and thought about my mother, Renee. I missed her so much. I would have given anything to be with her right now, if only I knew where to find her. Her one letter to me said that she was in Texas, but dad had refused to give me the envelope with her address on it. We had moved shortly after that so I never received another one. I tried to ask questions about her, but it only made him angry. At this point, I just wondered if she was even alive. It seemed like she would have been able to find me, even after the move.

Then again, maybe she wasn't looking. Maybe I was a sacrifice she was willing to make to gain her freedom. I loved her so much, and yet I hated her too. She could have taken me with her. Dad was strict, but it got so much worse after she ran off. But, at the same time, she was also my inspiration to create my own freedom. I couldn't run away to Texas, but I had managed to escape the prison of catholic school.

With that final thought I said a quick prayer for her, turned out my lamp and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was fast approaching, and I couldn't wait!

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The next day went much like the first. I had two classes with Alice today, and I managed to learn a lot about her by lunch time, so I was pretty happy. She actually was an honor student. She also took ballet, painted, and dreamed of becoming a fashion designer. Her dad was a lawyer and her mom was a real estate agent by day and a singing poet by night. They weren't Presbyterian. In fact, they were Buddhists. I had informed her very quickly that, for all intents and purposes, they were Presbyterians. She happily agreed to play the part. Her parents allowed her the freedom to express herself by any medium she chose. They trusted her completely, so they basically gave her no rules. She also added that this was partly because she had never given them any reason not to trust her.

I couldn't help but wonder if I could possibly convince my dad to give me that kind of treatment. While I was at it, I could also try to convince him that the sky was purple. Oh, how I envied her. No wonder she was so happy all of the time. I would be happy with just a small portion of that freedom. Of course, I would be happy with a simple radio in my room. _I wish her parents would adopt me._

When we arrived at the lunch table, Alice looked somewhat unhappy. I wasn't sure at first what I had missed. I found out soon enough though.

"Jazz, honey, where's your boy at today?" Alice asked with a hint of disappointment.

Across the table, Rosalie let out an exaggerated snort as if she was in on some big secret.

"Nobody asked you," Alice said as she shot daggers at Rosalie. "Jazz I believe you owe me an explanation."

"I really can't say for sure," he replied apologeticlly. "He was here this morning. I think he's having one of those days today."

"Oh," was all she replied before changing the subject. While I still didn't know what they were talking about, I could tell from the looks they exchanged with one another that there was a story lurking there somewhere.

"Are we still going shopping next Saturday?" Rosalie asked Alice in an attempt to change the subject.

"Of course, Rosie, you know I can't say no to clothes!" Alice exclaimed as a huge smile danced across her face. "Bella, you should come with us!"

She and Rosalie turned to face me with hopeful expressions on their faces. I had never been on a shopping trip with the girls before. The closest thing to it that I could remember was outlet shopping with my Aunt.

"Well, I would really like to, but it depends on whether the warden will let me out on good behavior," I said sarcastically in an attempt to make light of my situation.

"You know Jazz has to be somewhere this afternoon so I drove my own car to school," Alice informed me as she and Rosalie exchanged knowing smiles.. How about I come over and meet your dad today?" Alice said as her sly smile gave her away. I could see the plan already unfolding in her head.

"I don't know if that's such a good-"

"You leave it to me," Alice interrupted. "I'll win your dad over. I promise."

Could she win him over? This was all happening so quickly. I could only hope this plan of hers was a good one. Then again, who could resist Alice? It was simply impossible. The girl did not take no for an answer. Besides that, she was just so cute and loveable. Poor Charlie wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

We made our way to my house fairly quickly to prepare for our attack. After we arrived at my house, I gave Alice a quick tour of the place, before preparing dinner. We laughed, talked, and plotted the entire time. With everything going so well, I almost didn't notice when Charlie came home. Luckily, his car made enough noise to prompt my attention.

"Okay, he's pulling into the driveway now. Remember, you are Presbyterian and-"

Before I could even finish, Charlie was already bursting in as if the house were on fire.

"Bella?" Charlie yelled as came through the front door. "Bella, whose car is that outside, and more importantly, who is in here with you?" He did not appear pleased with the situation.

Before I could respond, Alice had already begun her attack.

"Hi! You must be Mr. Swan, she greeted, making her way through the living room. "It's nice to meet you sir," Alice added as she held out her hand in an attempt to introduce herslef properly.

Charlie stood frozen in the doorway. He didn't seem to know what to make of her.

"Dad, this is my friend, Alice," I informed him with slight hesitation. "She's the one I was telling you about yesterday," I continued as I joined the two in the living room. She was still holding out her hand patiently. Charlie glanced from Alice, to me, and then back again to Alice. Finally, he reached out and shook her hand.

"Yes, well, I guess you'll be joining us for dinner then," he said in his typical fashion. I could only hope that she wouldn't take offense to his tone.

"Yeah, Dad, we've been working pretty hard, making spaghetti, and it's almost ready," I said, trying to soothe his nerves.

He didn't answer, but he did go and sit down at the table in his usual seat. For better or for worse, we sat down with him to begin our attack.

"Mr. Swan, I was just asking Bella if she would like to go shopping with me next Saturday," Alice informed him in a hopeful voice.

_Boy, she sure didn't waste any time!_ I thought she was going to lead up to it at least. Then again, Charlie wasn't one for small talk. Maybe he would appreciate the fact that she got straight to the point.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to get some new clothes Bella," he replied calmly after a long moment of silence.

I couldn't believe that he had given in so easily. However, I could tell by the look on his face that we would be discussing it again later on. For now, though I was just going to enjoy the moment. I shot a grateful smile at Alice that she returned with a wink.

We finished our dinner with ease. Alice and I discussed our Biology homework and the upcoming lab project. She casually mentioned the upcoming football games, but neither of us dared to push the issue. We had given Charlie enough to take in for one evening.

When dinner was over, Alice helped me with the dishes and then went home. As soon as she pulled out of our driveway, Charlie called me into the living room.

"Your friend seems nice enough," he said with a sigh. "I know that you are growing up and therefore need some room. I'm going to give you that room, but don't mistake my kindness for weakness. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," I answered quickly, urging him to continue.

"I am going to trust you to behave responsibly and abide by my rules. Should you decide to test me on this, these new privileges are going to be revoked. Do you agree with these terms?"

"Yes sir," I replied again. He was actually being quite fair, for him that is.

"Now, can I assume that you would also like to start attending some of your school's sporting events?"

"Yes sir, I would like that very much," I with restraint, trying to hide my shock at the sudden turn of events.

_Was he for real_? I was going to have to bring Alice over more often. That girl must be my new good luck charm.

"Well, I'm going to bed, Charlie replied through a lazy yawn. "Good night." With that, he got up, went to his room, and closed the door.

_So, was that a yes to the game?_ I really wasn't sure. Still, he didn't say no either. It was times like these that really made me loathe his lack of communication skills. At lease he had agreed to let me go shopping. I suppose I would just have to take what I could get for now and be happy with that.

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**Can you imagine having a dad like Charlie?**

**I look forward to your reviews!**

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	4. Trouble

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your wonderful help!**

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Things were going very well by my second week of school. Alice and I had grown very close, as well as my friendship with the rest of the group. I had made some other acquaintances, but none that really stood out to me. Everyone I met had been pretty nice, but I was happy and safe within the confines of our clique. I could tell that Alice was becoming more and more determined to get me into socializing; but I was determined to take it slow.

"Bella, you know you really need to meet more people. You know, make more friends," Alice announced as we made our way out our last class.

"Alice? Are you getting tired of me already?" I asked sheepishly as I stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to face her. I could already feel the knot begin forming inside my stomach.

I really couldn't blame her; I had been glued to her side the whole week. I knew it had to become annoying at some point, especially since I was taking time away from her and Jasper.

"Don't be silly Bella!" she cried as she wrapped her hands around my arm, urgin me forward. "I just want you to branch out a bit more. You know, meet a guy or something."

Alice had the most devious look on her face. I could almost see the gears turning in her head as she plotted against me once more. As much as I didn't want to hurt her feelings, there was no way that I was up for any romantic involvement just yet.

"Alice, I'm…umm…not really ready for all of that," I stuttered, trying not to panic at the thought of it.

"All of what dear?" she asked innocently as if she really had no clue what all of the fuss was about.

"Meeting a guy and stuff. I'm just not there yet," I pleaded, sliently willing her to drop the subject. I could tell by her cheshire cat smile that she was not going to let this go.

"But you met Jasper, and you met Emmett, and-"

"You know that was different," I interrupted. She wasn't fooling anyone. It was clear that she was conspiring to hook me up with a potential boyfriend. I was adjusting to so many changes already, and a boyfriend would only complicate matters further.

"Well, I only wanted to help you make some more friends," she pouted, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not trying to auction you off to the highest bidder or anything like that, silly."

"I appreciate it," I began, trying not to sound ungrateful. "But I just don't think that I need to meet any guys right now."

She was quiet for a moment as she silently re-evaluated her plan. I knew she was trying to find a way to convince me, but I was determined to stand my ground.

"Well, how about an imaginary one then?" she asked sweetly. "Would you be willing to meet him at least?"

"What do you mean by imaginary?" I asked carefully, knowing this had to be a trick.

My friend must be crazier than I had originally thought. Of course, with Alice, who knew? She was so different from everyone else I had ever known. With all of her meditation and chanting she might very well know some imaginary people. I didn't know too much about Buddhists, but it seemed feasible that they might communicate with spirits.

"Well, I have an imaginary friend," she replied matter-of-factly. "He's really nice, and his name is Bob. Come on and I'll introduce you!"

I paused and looked at her in wonderment. I had to be insane to go along with this, but who could say no to Alice? Besides, how much complication could an imaginary guy bring?

With that thought apparent, I realized that she was dragging me outside the door that led outside onto to the grassy lawn. It was too late to back out now, so I just let my little pixie friend lead the way into uncertainty.

As we made our way across the yard, my eyes were suddenly drawn to a guy with disheveled bronze hair, sitting alone on top of a picnic table against the wall. He had an intense look on his face, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was silently brooding over. He looked a little dangerous, and yet I was still intrigued.

His apparel was simple enough. He was wearing a plain, black t-shirt and worn-looking jeans. I couldn't help but stare as he ran his fingers through his hair carelessly. I also couldn't help but notice that that he had rock-hard abs as well.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of Alice's pouty voice.

"Now where did Bob run off to?" she cried as she placed both hands on her hips. "Oh well, we'll just have to improvise."

I turned to look at her and became instantly aware of the cat-that-ate-the-canary grin that was plastered all over her face.

"Alice what are-" My voice trailed off as I realized that we were heading straight towards the bronze haired guy at the picnic table.

_Please, God, don't let him notice that I had been staring._

I began to panic at the endless possibilities of this meeting that was about to occur. Who was this guy? Had Alice planned this all along? Would he even notice me? Would I make a fool out of myself? Would I be crushed if he ignored me?

Before I could come to any conclusions, I realized that we were now in front of the table he was currently occupying.

Alice walked right up to him to introduce me. "Bella this is our other friend, Edward Cullen," she announced as he stared at her in confusion.

He then looked right at me, and I was instantly mesmerized by his eyes. They were a brilliant green around the outside and yellow in the center. The colors mingled together to give them an almost stained-glass effect. I had never seen anything quite so beautiful in my entire life.

"Er..uh..hey," Edward said indifferently as his eyes quickly left my face and shifted downward.

"Edward, this is Bella Swan," Alice introduced. "She's the new girl everyone's been dying to meet. Of course, you wouldn't know about that because you don't really talk to anyone, other than Jasper and Emmett that is, but I figured I would enlighten you."

I couldn't think. I couldn't move. Was I even breathing? As Alice rambled on, I stood there completely paralyzed. I could do nothing but follow his eyes as they fell to the ground.

That's when I noticed our shoes. We both were wearing black and white Converse sneakers. For some reason, that seemed very significant to me at the moment. Then, before I could stop myself, I said the most ridiculous thing imaginable.

"Hey Edward, it's nice to meet you, I said cordially while trying not panic. I should have stopped there, but instead continued talking. "I see we have the same shoes!"

_Ugh, shut up Bella!_ I scolded silently.

Even as the words came out of my mouth I knew it was a stupid thing to say. Alice could have pulled it off, but not me. Unfortunately, at that moment, it was what popped out. I could feel my face turning bright red as I stood there, mortified, waiting on his reaction.

Edward, however, just chuckled at my observation. Instead of mocking me, I took his crooked smile to mean that he had found my comment somewhat amusing.

As I watched him run his hand through his hair once more, I noticed that he had the most perfect face and an adorable smile. Even his hands were perfect. His long, slender fingers were the kind God created for the sole purpose of strumming a guitar.

"You're right! It must be fate!" he exclaimed suddenly as he slowly returned his hands to the table.

"What do you mean by fate?" I asked, amazed that he was still talking to me. How could he not think that I was a complete idiot after my previous statement?

"Fate that we would meet, of course," he replied knowingly, his eyes staring with intense fascination. "The shoes are a sign. Don't you believe in fate?"

Did I believe in fate? I knew that I believed in faith. I also believed in heaven and hell, the Ten Commandments, and in the power of prayer. I had never really thought about fate before. But, if fate did indeed exist, I was going to be spending most of my free time praying that it was actually happening here with Edward.

I couldn't really understand why I felt this instant attraction; only that there was something unknown and get very desirable about his eyes. I could feel every inch of my body screaming at me with lust and desire from deep within.

My life was about to get very interesting.

"Well, I guess that is one way of looking at it," I started explaining as well as I could with him staring at me like that. "You see, Alice was actually on her way to introduce me to her imaginary friend, Bob."

I knew that I should just shut the hell up. I was making a bigger fool out of myself with every word that came out of my mouth and probably sounded crazier than Alice at this point.

Edward's smile only widened as his eyes continued to penetrate me. "So, that's just more proof that this is fate," he added smugly.

His gaze was so fierce I thought he might burn a hole right through my head at any moment. That is, if I didn't dissolve into a puddle first or spontaneously combust.

I felt like I was under a spell, unable to form any rational thoughts. I feared that nothing even remotely intelligent was ever going to come out of mouth again as I attempted, once again, to speak.

"But, you're not Bob?" I continued, waiting on my brain to start working again.

Way to change the subject, genius.

Edward glanced upward, his expression one of deeo thought. "Well, I could be Bob," he responded matter-of-factly.

_Wait...what?_

He was definitely teasing me, and that had to be the reason he was continuing this conversation. But, was it possible he could be flirting with me instead? I would have to keep talking until I was sure.

"B..but…you're not Bob," I rambled, realizing my efforts to conversate were all in vain.

My ability to speak was obviously never going to improve, as he was affecting me in ways that I could not control. I could only pray that the ground would simply open up and swallow me whole.

"Exactly," he said with certainty, leaning in slightly closer to me.

Suddenly, Alice jumped up from the table. "Hey guys, I think I see Bob over there!" she squealed. "I should probably go say hi to him. See you guys later!"

She ran off so quickly you would think she had just seen Robert Pattinson or something.

"So, what do you think of Forks High?" Edward inquired, changing the subject while motioning for me to sit beside him.

I shot him a grateful smile, took a seat, and waited for the converstaion to continue. Of course, the conversation was only going to work if I could actually come up with something to say.

"Well, it has been fine so far," I replied with a little less hesiatation. Alice has been really great, and I've made a few other friends as well."

"Yeah, Alice is a cool girl," he added smoothly. "She's not all phony like most of the other girls here. You seem a bit different as well. Where are you from anyway?"

This situation was so unreal, and beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. I was silently hoping that my answer wouldn't deter his interest.

"I had been going to St. Mary's," I responded weakly, feeling slightly embarrassed.

I couldn't help but notice Edward's face perked up at that. Apparently, my answer only increased his interest.

"Oh, I see…hmmm...so you wore uniforms and got spankings?" he asked as his eyes traveled up and down my body. Did that idea really appeal to him? Holy crap! I suppose that I'd finally found a way to use the situation to my advantage.

"Yeah, something like that," I replied as I watched his tongue trail over his lips. It was utterly impossible to concentrate with him doing things like that.

"So, Bella, can I be your friend as well?" he asked in a tone of absolute seduction.

"If you want to be," I said, trying to sound flirty.

"I think I'd like that," Edward replied, hsi body inching closer to mine. "But I warn you, I'm not always the best company."

In a matter of minutes I had become completely enraptured with this guy. It was beyond me why he would want to be my friend, but it was completely welcomed at the same time. I made a mental note to thank Alice later, another to remember that Alice actually knows best.

Edward interrupted my thoughts again, "Of course, you don't really have any choice in the matter, what with this being fate and all," he said knowingly. His eyes narrowed as he glanced down at his watch. "Hey, do you want to go grab a smoke before next period?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, I began to panic again. I knew that there had to be a catch here, and Edward's smoking was definitely it. Still, I had wanted to try new things. That had been the point of coming to public school. At this point, I would follow this guy anywhere he asked.

"Sure!" I replied hastily. Even though I heard ,yslef say it, I was in shock that I had.

_What are you doing?_ I inwardly scolded.

I followed Edward around the back of the school building into the corner that contained the cafeteria dumpsters. Maybe there was still time to change my mind. Then again, would he still want to be my friend if he knew how plain and boring I was? Could I risk it?

I felt like Olivia Newton John trying to win the heart of John Travolta. That had worked out pretty well by the end of the movie. Of course, she didn't have an over-protective, religious-fanatic father watching her every move. Knowing my dad, he was probably praying for me right this very minute. That's all he ever seemed to do since I had been dismissed from St. Mary's.

"Here you go. I hope you like Camels," Edward said as he handed me the cigarette.

"Camels are fine," I said,reaching out to accept it. "You got a light?"

Wow! I sounded so cool! Or, at least, I thought I did.

As Edward flicked the lighter, a loud voice filled our ears.

"Mr. Cullen! It seems we meet again!"

We turned to see Mr. Arnold, the vice principal, approaching us with his hands folded across his chest.

"It seems as if you have an accomplice this time. I am surprised to find you here with the likes of him, Miss Swan," he chastised as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Shit," Edward mumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes.

"I suggest you put those out and follow me," Mr. Arnold demanded in a harsh voice that matched his fierce expression.

As we made our way back into the building, my mind raced with thoughts of what would happen next. As quickly as my life had finally begun it was now going to end. I was certain that my dad was going to kill me. There was no way I was going to be able to go to the game, shopping, or anything for that matter. I was so royally screwed.

I followed Edward into Mr. Arnold's office, sat down, and waited for my punishment. Mr. Arnold sat down across from us and stared in silence. The minutes that passed seemed to stretch out for an eternity. I thought perhaps this was a sort of mind game meant to break us into some kind of submission. The good thing about Catholic school was they would just beat you with a ruler and be done with it.

"Mr. Cullen, this makes four for you. I thought that you had grown tired of this game by now," he said, shaking his head with dissappointment.

"Yes, well, I could say the same thing to you," Edward replied sourly.

His eyes were so dark they looked almost black. I knew that my face must have turned three different shades of red as I tried to suppress the urge to break down into tears.

"Ms. Swan, I must say that I am extremely disappointed by your actions. I assumed they had taught you better at Catholic school. Let me assure you that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Do you understand me?"

I tried to speak but no words came. I just nodded instead. What could I say? I had been here for less than a month and had already obtained the reputation of a trouble maker. Come to think of it, that was my reputation at St. Mary's as well. Was I truly a trouble maker? I certainly never meant to be.

"Now, I'm going to give you each three days detention. You will report to my office no later than ten minutes after the dismissal bell. Do you understand me?

I nodded again. Edward chose to speak for the both of us.

"Yes sir, we'll be there!" He answered as he stood and gave a military-style salute to Mr. Arnold.

"Real cute, Mr. Cullen, now get out of my office."

With that, I stood and followed Edward into the hallway. He looked into my eyes with an apologetic smile.

"Bella, I'm sorry for getting you into this. I swear that stupid old man has nothing better to do than follow me around wherever I go! He needs to get a life, get laid, or something!"

"Yeah…something," I mumbled. I didn't know what else to say. I was still in shock. What had just happened? One minute I was with Alice, meeting the man of my dreams, and now I'd been caught smoking! Not to mention the fact that I now had detention. I knew Alice had only wanted to bring me out of my shell, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't what she had in mind.

Edward paused by a row of lockers, and kicked one in frustration. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath, while I watched him try to calm himself. finally, he opened his eyes and spoke.

"Well, Bella, I guess I'll see you in detention!" he said nonchalantly as if he had not just lost control of his temper.

Before I had a chance to respond, he turned around and walked away.

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**Thanks so much for all of the wonderful feedback!**


	5. Detention

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help**

As the afternoon progressed, my nerves steadily grew worse. Each class I had to sit through passed by in one big blur. No matter how hard I tried to focus, I couldn't concentrate on anything except the impending doom of what was to come. My mind was consumed with horrifying thoughts of Charlie, military school, and ritual exorcisms.

I replayed the whole scene with Edward in my head and contemplated all of the various ways that could indicate this somehow being fate. I couldn't shake the feeling that any outcome would be well worth it, since this had brought Edward and I together.

The sound of the final bell rang throughout the building and I got up and walked out of the class, feeling as if my insides would burst at any minute.

The feeling only increased as I crept down the hall towards detention. Half of it was nerves from being in trouble; the other half was nerves at the thought of seeing Edward again. I could only pray I would be able to say something to redeem myself from our earlier conversation. I could simply try to be myself, but that was easier said than done. Since I didn't know exactly who that was right now, I was going to have to play it by ear and hope I didn't say anything stupid.

I walked into the office to find Mr. Arnold waiting patiently for Edward and me. Edward had not arrived yet, so I went ahead and took a seat. I was a bit startled when Mr. Arnold began to address me.

"Bella, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and let you off easy this time. We don't really know each other yet so I don't want either of us to assume certain things about the other too quickly. However, let me give you one piece of advice: That boy is trouble. I know you girls find him strangely attractive, but he's got issues. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"I…I think so," I stuttered, nervously placing my bag on the floor, trying to process the meaning behind his words.

Is he really going to let me off so easy? I would have to keep my fingers crossed that Charlie would not find out about this after all. I knew that once he did, I would probably never be allowed to see Alice or Edward again. I would probably be lucky if he even allowed me to leave my bedroom for anything other than church.

Edward abruptly entered the office and collapsed onto the desk beside me, letting out a heavy sigh. He sat as still as a statue, glaring resentfully up at Mr. Arnold, without any acknowledgment that I was even there.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Mr. Arnold stood from his desk to address us. "Okay, I want you two here for one hour," he demanded in a stern voice. "I suggest you get started on your homework." With that he turned and exited the room, leaving the door open behind him.

We both reached down in unison to retrieve our books, causing our hands to graze one another's. As soon as we touched, I gasped as an electric shock pulsed through my arm. Our eyes met in a quick, awkward glance as we both tried to decipher what had just happened. I couldn't do anything but stare at him in complete shock. I wondered if he had felt the same pulsing sensation, or if it had been just me.

We both sat back in silence for awhile before returning to the task of gathering up our homework.

"So, Bella, do you like music?" Edward asked, turning to face me once again anf break the ice.

"Yeah, I do," I answered as I felt a sudden relief wash over me. His eyes met mine again and they were as beautiful as I had remembered from before.

"What kind of stuff do you listen to?" he quizzed, his eyes narrowing just a bit.

"Mostly alternative…some new age…anything but country really," I rambled as I tried to remain calm and focused. Edward's face broke into a big, crooked grin at my answer.

"What song is stuck in your head right now?" he asked curiously as he studied my face.

"Silent All These Years," I quickly replied. His eyes came alive with fire and his smile widened.

"Tori Amos, huh?" he smirked knowingly. "I'm glad to see that you have such good taste in music. Tell me, do you play any instruments?"

"Not really," I answered as I regretfully lowered my eyes from his gaze. "I took piano lessons as a kid, but never got too far with it. These days I'm actually more of a writer." I slowly met his eyes again, searching his face for a reaction.

Edward nodded his head slowly in acceptance of my answers. His face showed no signs of boredom or annoyance, leaving me feeling much more confident than earlier today.

"Cool!" he replied without hesitation. "Maybe you could put some words to my music some time."

"What do you play?" I implored. Please, oh please, say the guitar. I wanted to see those magnificent fingers strum a guitar so bad it almost hurt.

"Well, mostly guitar, but I can play bass and piano as well. Jasper plays drums, and we want to start a band, but no one else around here seems to know how to play anything."

I tried to control my excitement so my facial expressions wouldn't give away all of my secrets. He was my type of guy indeed, the type of guy my dad had hoped to keep me away from my entire life. My mind was now trying to decide what kind of car he must drive, or if perhaps it was a motorcycle.

Charlie would just love that.

Okay, I just needed to stop this right now. It's not like Edward and I were going to be dating or anything. He already said earlier that we were going to be friends. At this point, I really had to get a grip on myself if I was going to be able to hold on to that much.

Of course, I couldn't deny the way he kept looking at me. I only wished I had a way of determining what kind of look it was.

"Earth to Bella," Edward said, waiving his hands frantically in front of my face in an effort get my attention.

Crap! How long had I been zoned out? "Oh, umm, sorry. What were you saying? I think I spaced out or something, probably from not eating lunch," I said surely, hoping that would cover my tracks.

Edward shook his head slightly and flashed me a dazzling smile. "I was asking you if you were going to the game Friday night."

Did he mean the football game? Edward hadn't really struck me as the school spirit kind of guy. Then again, who was I to judge?

Before I could say anything, Mr. Arnold returned to the room and cleared his throat. "Okay you two, time's up! I'll see you at the same time tomorrow."

We quickly gathered up our things and made our way out the door. Edward turned to go down the hallway in the opposite direction from me. I just stood there watching him walk away, paralyzed again, when he came to an abrupt halt and turned back around.

"Hey, do you need a ride home?" Edward called out to me as he ran his fingers through his hair. I swear my heart skipped a beat every time he did that.

"Yeah, that would be great," I replied with a grateful smile. "I rode the bus here so I hadn't thought about how I would get home." I'm going to get to see his car!

He motioned for me to follow him. "It's the least I can do. I mean, I am the one who got you into this and all."

"Maybe," I flirted as I caught up to him. "Then again, maybe it was all due to fate." Edward perked up as he took in the meaning behind my statement, and laughed.

"Bella Swan, I knew you would see things my way eventually," he teased as we continued down the hall.

We made our way in silence, quickly walking towards the empty parking lot. I was too caught up in the idea of seeing his car and spending more time with him to say anything else at that moment.

"My car's right over here," he said as he pointed to a sleek, silver Volvo. He didn't attempt to open the door for me, but was he supposed to? I mean, this wasn't the 1950's or anything. I just shrugged it off and let myself in, trying not to dwell on it. The car roared to life, along with his stereo, and my ears became filled with the sounds of one of my personal favorites, Muse.

"Shall we try this again?" Edward asked as he pulled out his pack of Camels.

Here I thought I was getting out of it earlier when Mr. Arnold found us. I didn't know what to do, so I took the cigarette and let him light it. It didn't take long for me to start coughing. I tried my best to hide my reaction, but I was starting to feel sick.

"You okay?" he asked, looking at me with a confused expression.

"Yeah, I'm just used to smoking lights," I replied, mortified at my body's lack of tolerance to the smoke.

Was he buying it? I couldn't even tell. Luckily, the music was loud enough to cover up most of the noises coming out of my throat. All of a sudden, Edward turned the music almost all the way down.

"So, where am I taking you exactly?" he asked as he took another drag from his cigarette.

"Oh, yeah, right," I said slowly as the reality that this was about to come to an end began to slowly sink in. "I live over on Edgebrook. It's the white house at the end of the cul de sac."

Edward nodded in acknowledgement and we continued on down the street. He was driving pretty fast, but it only added to my excitement.

"So, you never gave me an answer about the game," he began while his eyes remained focused on the road. "I know it's kind of lame, but it's something to do. Think about it, okay?" He said it so casually that it seemed like he really didn't care.

He must care though, seeing that this was the second time he had asked.

"I'll do that," I tried to say while trying to suppress the choking sounds from my throat.

The car same to a stop and I realized we were at my house. I took one last look at Edward and noticed the disappointment on his face that he was trying to hide. I desperately felt the urge to lean forward and give him a kiss, but my body failed to make the move. He almost looked like he wanted to do the same thing, but made no attempt to it either.

Finally, I put out my cigarette, grabbed my bag, and got out of the car.

"Guess I'll see you around," he said lazily as I reached to close the door.

"Yeah, see you later!" I replied smoothly. After one quick glance back over my shoulder, I turned and made my way into the house. Edward was already making his way out of my driveway.

This was certainly an interesting turn of events. I wasn't sure what later would bring, but I knew I couldn't wait for it to get here.

But, for now, I would have to wait.

I only had about thirty minutes before my dad would get home. It was barely enough time to change my smoke-ridden clothes and prepare us something for dinner. What I really needed was a cold shower!

Before beginning my tasks, I made sure to check the answering machine. I was quite pleased to find that Mr. Arnold had not called. Maybe he really was giving me the benefit of the doubt.

There was, however, a message from Alice. I'm sure she was wondering what had happened to me today, since I didn't meet her and Jasper in the parking lot after school. I could only hope that Edward had told Jasper what was going on and that he, in turn, had filled her in on the details of the events. For now, she would just have to wait.

I was a girl on a mission.

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**Sorry for the teaser, but Bella is just not ready to face the wrath of Charlie yet!**

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* * *


	6. Getting Acquainted

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help!**

* * *

I couldn't help but notice a very anxious Alice waiting for me as I made my way off of the bus the following day. I had talked to her briefly the night before and promised to share with her the details of my defiance today; I figured we would discuss it at lunch, but she obviously preferred not to be kept waiting.

"Bella!" she squealed as she dragged be by the arm into the building. "It's time to spill your guts! I want details NOW!" I could tell by her demeanor that she was not going to take "no" for an answer. I decided to confide in her, but keep the finer details to myself for now.

"Well, there's not too much to it really," I shrugged. "We got caught smoking and got three days of detention."

"I can't believe you!" she screamed as she threw her hands up in dismay. "You were smoking! I thought you were this sweet, innocent, Catholic girl. I left you two alone so you could get to know one another, but had no idea he would corrupt you in less than an hour!"

She was scolding me with her words, but her face was grinning wildly at the same time. Was she mad at me or proud of me? I really couldn't tell, but I supposed she was a little of both. Still, I was only branching out like she had encouraged me to do all along.

"Actually, I'm not even Catholic. I only went to Catholic school because of my dad's determination to keep me sheltered from the world," I answered with a shrug. I knew it was a vague explanation, but it was a story better suited for another time.

Alice's facial expressions clearly expressed her confusion and need for a subject change. "Oh, well, how was detention?" she asked in her usual cheerful voice.

_Detention?_ I really couldn't remember how detention was exactly. All I could remember was how it felt being with Edward, and the feeling when his hand grazed mine; that part of the incident had been mind-blowing, but I wasn't about to tell her that.

"It was pretty uneventful actually," I answered indifferently. "We just sat there for an hour." I could see her smile lessening and her eyes begin to narrow as I spoke. She obviously was not going to be satisfied with my simple answers on the subject.

"And what did you do for that hour?" she coaxed with relentless determination.

"We talked and I got to know him a little more," I recounted for the sake of her interrogation. "I guess it was pretty interesting that we seem to have similar tastes in music." She was eyeing me closely as I spoke, so I only gave her a weak smile. _No need to be transparent._

I wanted to tell her so much more. I wanted to tell her how my heart sped up when his eyes met mine, how I had to remind myself to breathe when he spoke, and how my whole body was set afire when we barely touched. Instead, I decided to keep these things to myself-Partly, because I needed to get to my first class and partly because I wanted a better understanding of these things first.

"We'll finish talking about this later," she whispered as we approached the entrance of my first class. I nodded, and made my way through the room and took my seat.

It was a painfully slow day. I spent every hour counting down the minutes until I had detention again. Lunch only seemed to make things worse. I secretly hoped Edward would join us today, but was left dissatisfied when he failed to make an appearance. I even considered going outside to look for him, but finally decided I did not want to risk getting into any more trouble. Besides, if he had wanted to talk to me then he would have probably come to find me. I seriously doubted Alice would have let me slip away anyway. Rosalie and Emmett never made an appearance, leaving her with nothing else as a distraction. She ended up using our whole lunch period to ask questions about yesterday, and it felt a little like the Spanish Inquisition.

Edward never found me, and by the end of the day I was starting to wonder if he would even show up for detention. My fears were quickly dissolved as I walked into Mr. Arnold's office to find him already seated. I tried desperately to mask my excitement, but felt the transparency all over my face. My heart beat rapidly as I sat down beside him and turned to meet his gaze for the first time that day.

"Hi," I said casually as I flashed him a hesitant smile.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asked as his lips curled up into a grin.

_It was going a lot better now! _"Fine, I guess, how about you?" I asked coolly.

"Oh, you know typical high school bullshit," Edward said with a shrug. He seemed to be trying to play things cool as well, but suddenly stiffened and lowered his eyes to his desk.

"Umm…I brought you something," he said timidly as he reached into his bag and pulled out a CD. Slowly, he passed me the CD for inspection. "It's Laura Marling. I figured, since you said you like Tori Amos, you might like her as well."

I reached out and took the disc with shaky hands and a wide-eyed expression. Edward had brought me some of his music! Not only had he decided I was not a complete moron, but had found me to be someone who was worthy of sharing it with.

For a moment I just held it, feeling rather stunned at the gesture. Before I had a chance to thank him, Mr. Arnold made his way into the office.

"Good afternoon. I'm glad to see you two are here on time," he said as he stood by his desk. "I need you to go down to the cafeteria today and put all of the chairs up on the tables for the cleaning crew."

Edward groaned and I simply nodded as we gathered up our things and made our way down the hall towards our prison detail.

As we approached the lunchroom, I was feeling more confident, and decided to try to start a conversation. "So, Edward, tell me more about yourself."

My question got his attention, and his face broke into a curious grin. "What do you want to know?" he inquired with peaked interest.

I wanted to know everything about this guy! What his favorite color was, favorite food, brand of deodorant, most embarrassing moment, worst fears…everything! Of course, I wasn't about to tell him all of that. No need to come off like a stalker, so I decided to go with more basic questions.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" I pried as we arrived at the lunchroom and began our task.

"No, I'm an only child," he chuckled. "What about you?"

"Same here," I replied softly. "Are your parents together or divorced?"

"They're together, but they really shouldn't be anymore," he answered with a twinge of remorse.

"Oh, I see. Well, mine are divorced," I said as my face fell. This wasn't the kind of conversation I had meant to have. It was time to switch things up a bit.

"Okay, Edward, if you could have one super power, what would it be?" I asked playfully as I turned up a chair.

"That's an interesting question," he said thoughtfully. "I suppose I would like to be able to read minds. What about you?"

"I want to be able to fly," I said with confidence.

"I don't know about all that," he said with a laugh as he shook his head and reached for another chair. "That would be okay as long as you're not afraid of heights!

"Well, it sure beats mind reading!" I said jokingly. "It seems like you would never have any peace and quiet."

I watched Edward proceed to move himself closer and closer to my table. Finally, he stopped directly in front of me, and licked his lips as his eyes narrowed. "Anyway, I've got a better one for you," he said with a seductive tone. "What is your porn name?"

"Wh…what do you mean exactly?" I stuttered incredulously as I felt my face reddening again. I was far too innocent for my own good here and completely out of my element.

Edward had the most _curious_ look on his face as he calculated my reaction. "You take the name of your first pet and then add the name of the street you grew up on. Whatever you come up with is supposed to be your porn name," he smirked deviously. "Not that we're going to be making porn or anything," he added as he turned over another chair.

_Holy crap!_ I was trying very hard to figure out my porn name, but I was too flustered and hyper-aware of his body to even remember my real name at that moment. I was sure at any moment I would spontaneously combust from over-stimulation or die from pure embarrassment.

_What street did I grow up on again?_ My mind was flooded with thoughts, but not the right ones. _Edward on camera, Edward on a bed, Edward on...me. _Oh my God! I really needed to focus.

Okay, _think Bella!_ It was a small, white, furry cat….the street had an apple orchard….

"Lena Brazil," I exclaimed, putting the pieces together.

"Mmm…that's sexy!" Edward replied as he closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath.

I was silently debating asking him about his porn name, but this conversation was becoming too scandalous for me. Instead, I decided to change the subject once more.

"Hey, how come you don't ever eat lunch?" I inquired casually as my face returned to its natural hue. Since we were in the cafeteria, it seemed like a good time to bring this up.

"What makes you think I don't eat lunch?" he said with a hint of sarcasm. I couldn't help but smile. He was picking on me…and I had always heard that boys did that when they liked you.

"I meant in here, with everyone else," I teased.

He shrugged, and went back to putting up the chairs, before finally answering me. "I just never had a reason to I suppose."

_I could give you a reason,_ I thought to myself. Ugh! What was wrong with me? I had to turn away for fear my cheeks might flush again. I was such a dork sometimes. Just because he looked me over once or twice didn't mean he wanted me as a girlfriend. Still, I couldn't help but revel at the thought of it.

"Hey, it works both ways, you know. How come you haven't been back outside to see me?" he asked bluntly. I knew he had a point, but I couldn't help but notice a slight hostility in his voice. I hoped I hadn't offended him with my line of questioning.

I chose to ignore his tone and tried to bring the conversation back to a happier place. "Why? So you can get me into trouble some more?" I flirted as I started on the next table. Edward had abruptly disappeared though, leaving me feeling like I was talking to myself.

I felt an electric current sweep across my back and gasped as I became aware of his presence right behind me. The feeling only increased as he reached out and moved my hair to one side with his glorious musician's hands.

"So," he breathed against the exposed skin on the back of my neck. "You think that was trouble?" Edward asked as he placed his hands on my shoulders. I felt my body tremble from his closeness and my breathing became ragged. "You have no idea how much trouble I can actually be," Edward added as I felt his lips graze my ear.

His breath sent shivers down my entire body as I willed myself to breathe. It was the most intoxicating feeling I had ever experienced in my entire life. Before I could even begin to fathom how I might respond, Mr. Arnold made his way into the room while clearing his throat in an exaggerated manner.

"Mr. Cullen, if you could please stop distracting Miss Swan, I would like to get home at a reasonable hour." I froze while Edward quickly backed away from me, mumbling something incoherent.

"You can leave as soon as you're done," Mr. Arnold said as he turned to leave us to our work. "Oh, and Miss Swan, don't forget what we talked about before."

We finished the last of the chairs, and Edward offered me another ride home. I accepted eagerly, and we made a quick getaway to his Volvo.

Throughout the ride the conversation continued to flow with ease. We talked about everything we could think of in such a short amount of time. I learned his favorite band was Nirvana and his favorite book was _Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas_. I made myself a mental note to remember I had also discovered his favorite food was anything involving pesto. I figured all of this information might come in handy one day. At least, I hoped it would.

It was not long before we found ourselves approaching my house. I hated for the day to come to an end, and I had no idea when I might be seeing Edward again. At least I had the game to look forward to since he had made it very clear he would be going.

"Well, I suppose we have one more day left of our sentence," I said cheerfully as we pulled into my driveway and turned to face one another.

"Yeah, sure…" he said slowly as his voice trailed off and his eyes darkened. "Hey, what did Mr. Arnold mean earlier?" Edward asked in a serious voice.

"Oh, he informed me the other day he would be 'watching me' or something," I mocked as I rolled my eyes in amusement.

"Oh," was all he replied. He seemed to be thinking over something important.

"Hey, Bella?"

"Yes?" I coaxed.

"Nothing, never mind, I'll see you later," he said with a confused expression as he scratched his head.

"Okay, yeah, later," I answered absently, trying to hide my disappointment from his withholding whatever it was he so obviously had wanted to say. Our communication was definitely improving, but there was still some obvious tension getting in the way.

With that I got out of the car, closed the door, and made my way into the house as he drove away.

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**Have you figured out your own porn name yet? *lol***

**Thank you so much for reading my story!**

**Please review!**


	7. Escape

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help.**

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The following day Alice wasn't feeling like her usual perky self. We all decided to sit outside at lunch, hoping some fresh air might help her feel better. As selfish as I felt, I couldn't help but also feel enthusiastic about the change of scenery. After all, I could only assume Edward would be outside somewhere.

We made our way over to the table where I had first laid eyes on him, only to find it empty. I scanned the entire perimeter but Edward was nowhere to be found. I could feel the disappointment written all over my face. Had Alice felt better she would have been all over this, but it was Emmett and Rosalie who decided to torment me instead.

"Who are you looking for Bella?" Rosalie asked with a snicker. "Could it be _cigarette boy_?"

If looks could kill, I would have just committed my first murder.

"Come on Bella, you know I'm just playing don't you?" she said as Emmett let out a snort.

"Yeah, Rose just thought you might be having nicotine withdrawal or something," Emmett teased as he winked at Rosalie.

"Actually, I thought she might be experiencing a _different_ kind of withdrawal," Rosalie replied menacingly, continuing to badger me. "By the way, you haven't mentioned how detention has been going," she added.

"Guys, come on," I lamented. "I wasn't looking for anyone. I was just…"

That's when I saw him, hiding in the shadows, leaning against the corner of the brick wall. He must have sensed he was being watched because he immediately reacted. As soon as he jerked his head up, his eyes locked with mine. I knew I should look away, but I couldn't find the will. I was totally captivated by his cat-like eyes. I gave up on being subtle, and let my eyes absorb the contours of his body pressed against the brick wall as he leaned.

"Hey, there's our Marlboro man now," Emmett yelled across the lawn as he waved to Edward. "What's up, Eddie?"

Edward glanced over at Emmett for a second, shook his head, and disappeared around the corner.

I couldn't understand why he didn't just come over--They were all supposed to be friends. His behavior was so confusingly irritating.

"What the hell is _his_ problem?" Emmett groaned as he turned to Jasper.

"I think he got into it with his Dad again," Jasper quietly replied as he pulled Alice closer, resting her head on his shoulder.

Everyone seemed reluctant to say anything further on the matter, so I spent the remainder of our lunch hour people-watching and thinking about him.

I could understand having problems at home, but not why he was letting it affect his life at school. This was _my _escape from all of the drama; isolating myself only made things worse.

I concluded that if he would let me, I would be his escape from it all.

When the day finally came to a close, I practically ran to detention. I made my way down the hall at record speed to find Edward standing outside of the office, propped up against the wall. At first I thought he was waiting for me, and my heart skipped a beat. Then, I noticed the office door was closed and Edward was holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"What's up?" I asked casually as I tried not to stare at too hard at him.

I couldn't help but notice how, for the second time today, he looked incredibly sexy when he leaned against the wall like that. My hormones were definitely getting the better of me, but that's to be expected when you were stuck in an all-girls school for so long.

"It's funny you should ask," he chuckled as he ran his fingers through his hair. "It seems as if Mr. Arnold has better things to do today, and decided to ditch us with a note instead."

"So, does that mean we don't have detention then?" I asked nervously, feeling horrified at the possibility of not spending the afternoon with Edward.

"Unfortunately, the note says he wants us to go home and write 500 words on the dangers of smoking," Edward mused as he held out the note.

I scanned over the piece of paper and felt my stomach tangle into knots. Apparently, I was going to have to spend the afternoon at home instead of getting to know Edward better. I was not pleased by this new turn of events. Still, there was nothing I could do about it, so I turned to go try to find Alice.

"Okay...well...I guess I'll go see if I can catch a ride then," I said as I turned toward the hall, trying my best to hide the disappointment in my voice.

"Bella!" he called out as I began making my way down the hall.

I stopped and looked back to see him still leaning in the same spot. I also noticed his face was now sporting a familiar grin.

"We never finished our conversation from yesterday," he mused, running his fingers through his hair.

"Oh?" I asked, trying to remember where we had left off. "What conversation was that?"

Edward shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Don't you want to know what my porn name is?" he asked, his eyes once again piercing mine, rendering me almost speechless.

"Yeah…umm…I guess we never did get to that part," I replied, trying to maintain my composure as explicit images of Edward flashed through my mind. "So, what is it?"

Edward closed his eyes and shook his head. "Rocky Dickens." He paused, waiting for my reaction.

_Rocky Dickens!_ My reaction was a complete loss for words, accompanied by a scarlet red face.

"Yep!" he chuckled. "Hey, do you think you might still want to ride with me?" he added, as I stood there with my mouth hanging slightly open. "I mean, you know, hang out for awhile."

My brain snapped back into reality as I realized what he was asking. "Sure, if you want to," I answered shyly. Edward chuckled as he crossed the distance that separated us.

"Well, of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have asked," he replied matter-of-factly as he put his arm around me and led me toward the parking lot.

_This was new…_

As we made our way to the car, I tried to process this turn of events. I had begun to think he was just embarrassed to be seen with me publicly, but this was a public display of affection!

My excitement was short-lived though, because when we reached the Volvo, he still failed to open my door for me. I'm not sure why this was bothering me but, for whatever reason, I was judging his feelings for me on this one simple gesture.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked as I settled into my seat and fastened my safety belt.

"Well, I thought we might go to my house for awhile," Edward suggested as he turned the key and brought the car to life.

"Okay, sure," I replied without hesitation. The idea of going to his house had never really occurred to me before, but I wasn't about to object. "Oh, and your porn name is much better than mine," I added for good measure.

Edward's face broke into a huge grin. "I don't know about all that," he said as he reached his hand over and placed it on my knee. "I thought yours was pretty hot!"

I looked down at his hand and felt my heart skip a beat. I was so nervous with anticipation that I reached for a cigarette before he could even offer. I knew it was a nasty habit I didn't need to acquire, but I was determined to be a part of Edward's world by any means I could manage.

We turned down a street, which was somewhat unfamiliar to me, and pulled up to a modest, brick house with cream shutters. Edward parked the car in front of the garage and quickly made his way out of the car. As I made my way to follow him, I was completely taken back by what I saw next. Edward led me down the steps, through the basement door to reveal the most interesting place I had ever seen.

The walls were dark, midnight blue, with sparkling stars and planets scattered across various points of the surface. One wall was painted to look like the view from standing on the surface of the moon. That particular wall also housed a small bed that was pushed up against the moon's surface.

_Edward's bed._

Across the room, there was a black, leather couch and a glass coffee table covered in sheet music.

I gasped as the next corner of the room got my attention. There was a huge set of speakers surrounded by a drum set and various musical gear, with a sleek, black Fender Stratocaster in the center of the ensemble. I found myself instantly drawn to the guitar and, as I made my way over towards it, I stopped and glanced back at Edward for permission to continue.

Edward was still standing awkwardly in the doorway, trying to gauge my reaction. His lips curled into a familiar grin as he noticed my excitement over his guitar.

"May I?" I asked as I reached out to touch the beautiful instrument.

"Be my guest," he said earnestly as he made his way to my side.

Slowly, I reached out to touch the beautiful instrument. I gently caressed the neck with my fingertips before sliding my hands across the body. I turned my gaze back to Edward, only to see his eyes filled with a look I could only assume was desire.

"Edward, I would love to hear you play," I urged as I finally released my hands from the guitar.

"As you wish," Edward replied as he quickly snapped out of his daze and he reached for the guitar. I took a seat on the sofa and watched hungrily as he lifted the guitar from its stand, pulled the strap over his shoulder, and flipped the switch on his amplifier. He then took a seat on a nearby stool and took a deep breath.

As he began strumming the guitar, the most hypnotic sounds I had ever heard filled the air. I lost myself in the melodic rhythm of his strumming and his expression as he did it. His hair fell slightly forward as he leaned into every chord with intense passion. He closed his eyes and rocked back and forth, becoming one with the music.

"What song is that?" I asked curiously. The tune was familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place it in my head.

"It's Dust in the Wind, by Kansas," Edward said as he ceased strumming. "It's the first song I ever learned to play…the only thing my father ever really taught me."

"Oh, so your dad plays too?" I inquired, trying to gauge his reaction. I watched as the spark that had been in his eyes moments before turned into look of remorse.

"He used to, but not anymore," he said with a sad tone.

"Is that why you play?" I asked empathetically. I didn't want to linger on a bad subject, but I was eager to get to know the other side of him as well.

"No, I play for me," he replied with a sullen tone. Then, in a lowered voice he added "It's my escape-my way of finding peace."

"Does it work?" I questioned as I watched him return his guitar to its stand and make his way over to the sofa. I felt a sudden heat fill my body as he sat down beside me. He was so close now, even our legs were touching.

"It used to, but not so much anymore," he stated as he leaned his face in closer to mine.

"Oh," was my meager reply as I sat there frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights. Just when I thought things couldn't get any better, he reached his hand out and caressed my cheek with his fingertips.

"I need a new escape," he whispered as he slid his hand around my neck. He was staring at me so intently, as if he were trying not just to connect with me, but with the very depths of my soul. "Bella, you could be that for me."

My heart started doing somersaults in response to his words. Before I could respond, his face began inching its way closer to mine. I closed my eyes and parted my lips slightly, bracing myself for the kiss, but it never came. Instead, there was the distinctive sound of another car pulling into the driveway.

_Damn it!_

Edward and I froze as we listened to the slamming of two car doors, followed by the sound of intense arguing that I could not quite decipher. I looked over at Edward, who now had an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips and was fishing through his pockets for a lighter, and sat there completely unsure of what to do. I noticed a lighter on the coffee table and silently presented it to him. He took it gratefully, and handed me a cigarette. We both sat there, perfectly still, letting our smoke fill the room for what seemed like an eternity.

"Yeah, so this is my room," he said sheepishly as he attempted to break the uncomfortable silence.

"It's nice," I sputtered, silently scolding myself for not being more comforting.

"I guess I should take you home," he said with a distracted voice.

"Oh, right, yeah…we both have papers to write!" I chirped, attempting to lighten the mood once more.

"I guess…yeah," Edward snorted as he stood up and reached for my hand. I took it and let him guide across the room, up the steps, and back toward his car.

When we got there, a beautiful woman was leaning up against the other car, crying, with her arms folded across her chest. I froze again, knowing I was witnessing things that I should not be seeing, but unsure of what to do about it.

"Go wait in the car, Bella," Edward commanded as he made his way over to the woman. I did as he said and watched out of the corner of my eye as he tried to console the woman, who I assumed was his mother. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. It was all very loving and sweet at first, but she quickly pushed him away and began scolding him. Although I could not make out her exact words, I did notice her pointing at me and then towards his doorway. I got the distinct impression my presence here was not welcomed, and considered trying to walk home. Moments later Edward joined me in the car, his eyes dark and brooding, and quickly got us out of there.

"Edward, I'm sorry if I got you into trouble," I began nervously as we made our way down the street towards my house. He acted as if he didn't hear me and kept increasing his speed to the point where I began to get scared. "Maybe you should pull over and we can talk about it."

"I'm fine, really," Edward answered callously. I tried to remind myself that he was not mad at me, but rather with the situation in general.

As we pulled up to my house, I felt utterly helpless. Edward was clearly in pain, and I had helped cause it. I did not know what to do, so I leaned in to pick up where we had left off. As my lips reached toward his, Edward interrupted my actions by placing a cigarette in his mouth.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," Edward mumbled against the cigarette.

"Yeah, tomorrow," I choked as the tears of rejection stung my eyes. I forced myself to hold it together until he was safely moving down the street. Then, I let the tears fall.

Common sense should have told me that he only stopped because his parents came home. However, my heart was screaming out with rejection. No matter how badly I wanted something to happen between us, I could not shake my feelings of inadequacy.

I sat down on the steps that led to my porch, trying to calm myself from the afternoon events. My eyes wondered to a nearby tree where I noticed a bright, red cardinal perched high on one of the branches. I listened to him singing his little heart out, as I tried to locate the source of his inspiration. Finally, I noticed a small, tan bird with a slight speck of red as well, hovering just below the tree.

They were just like Edward and I. He was so brilliantly beautiful and perfect. I was just a plain, boring, and beige.

Still, the red bird was calling out to her as if she were the only other creature in existence.

Maybe there was hope for us after all.

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**So, what did you think of Rocky Dickens? That name is a special gift for my dear friend, Dre. Love you girl!**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	8. Escape EPOV

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta**

**Sorry for the delay in updating. I took a detour after getting so many requests for some EPOV. I had not intended to do anything other than BPOV, but it actually came out very well. I hope this is what you guys were looking for!**

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EPOV

"Bella!" I called out to her as she turned to walk away from me. I really wasn't ready to let her go that easily. Granted, I would have to form a new plan fast, since Mr. Arnold had decided to ruin my original one by cancelling detention. As far as I was concerned, this was strike one; I wasn't about to miss out a second time. I had wanted to go to her so badly at lunch today, but I was too ashamed of my state of mind at that time. I had been so worked up from my confrontation with Carlisle this morning, I was sure I had done poorly on my Advanced Physics test. I could only hope it wouldn't set me back too much. I had my heart set on graduating early, and I knew that my mom was hoping for that as well. I had been working myself to death, doing everything I could to escape this place as soon as possible. The weird thing was that since the day Bella Swan walked into my life; I hadn't feel like being in such a hurry.

I couldn't help but grin like an idiot when she stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. "We never finished our conversation from yesterday."

"Oh?" she questioned, looking slightly puzzled. "What conversation was that?"

_Damn_, did I leave so little of an impression on her? She _sure_ left one on me.

"Don't you want to know what my porn name is?" I asked, shooting her what I hoped was a dazzling smile.

"Yeah…umm…I guess we never did get to that part," she replied as her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. "So, what is it?"

_Now you've done it, Edward!_ I scolded myself, having not considered the embarrassment factor in revealing my name to her. "Rocky Dickens."

I chuckled as I watched her rosy blush turn deep crimson. She looked so cute when she acted shy like that. Of course, I hadn't quite figured her out yet. She was so different from most of the girls I had known. I think that was what I found to be so appealing. She was both the angel and the devil on each of my shoulders. The angel was dressed in a sexy Catholic school uniform. Of course, the devil was wearing the _exact _same thing.

It was now or never, so I decided to put myself out there. "Hey, do you think you might still want to ride with me? I mean, you know, hang out for awhile." I held my breath as I waited for her answer.

"Sure, if you want to," she answered shyly.

_She said yes! _Well…_kind of_ at least. I quickly made my way over to her before she had a chance to change her mind.

"Well, of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have asked," I stated matter-of-factly, putting my arm around her waist as we headed toward the parking lot.

"So, what do you want to do?" she asked me as we settled into the Volvo, causing my mind to flood with images of pleated skirts and knee-high socks.

_You don't _even_ want to know!_ I thought inwardly, praying that my brain filter would not fail me now.

"Well, I thought we might go to my house for awhile," I suggested casually, as I started up the car.

"Okay, sure!" Bella responded with enthusiasm. "Oh, and your porn name is much better than mine," she added with a sexy smile.

_Lena Brazil, school-girl-sexy-goddess…._

I reflexively reached out and put my hand on her knee. "I don't know about all that," I teased. "I thought yours was pretty hot!"

To my surprise, Bella's hands started shaking. Then, she reached over, grabbed my pack of Camels, and lit one up! I tried my damndest to concentrate on driving, since I was obviously making her nervous. I really wanted to take things slow; it was proving to be more difficult each day.

As we were pulling up at my house, I was the one who became a bit nervous this time. Sure, there had been girls who had hung out in my basement before, but no one I had any interest in. There was nothing more pathetic than a bunch of sixteen-year-old girls acting like groupies for a bunch of tone-deaf losers trying to form a garage band.

I couldn't help but smile at her reaction to everything. Her eyes widened in amazement as she slowly gazed around the room. She seemed especially drawn to my electric guitar-it _was_ the pinnacle of my collection-and she went straight to it. She reached out to touch it, but hesitated as she shot me a questioning glance.

"May I?" she asked.

"Be my guest," I replied, making my way over to join her.

I watched as her hands slowly caressed every inch of my guitar. If she didn't quit that shit soon, it would be all over for me; It was taking every bit of my self-control not to ravage her as it was.

"Edward, I would love to hear you play," she urged, finally releasing her hands from the guitar.

_Thank God! _

"As you wish," I answered as I reached for the guitar. She took a seat on the sofa and patiently waited as I prepared to play for her. Before I could even consciously think about what I song I wanted to play, the song just spilled out of me. I lost myself in the melodic rhythm as I poured out my soul to her.

"What song is that?" she asked, snapping me back into reality.

"It's Dust in the Wind, by Kansas," I replied, suddenly unable to continue playing. "It's the first song I ever learned to play…the only thing my father ever really taught me."

"Oh, so your dad plays too?" She asked, oblivious to the situation.

"He used to, but not anymore," I said, trying to mask the sadness in my voice.

"Is that why you play?" She asked hesitantly. I really didn't want to ruin our time together by explaining Carlisle to her. For one, it would take too long. Second, I didn't want to run her off. Third, I didn't want her to stay…out of _pity_.

"No, I play for me," I tried to explain. "It's my escape-my way of finding peace." I turned away from her in an effort to hide the pained expression that I was sure my face now wore. I took in a deep breath, returning my guitar to its stand, and tried to get my mind back to focusing on Bella.

"Does it work?" She asked, as I made my way over to the sofa and took a seat next to her.

"It used to, but not so much anymore," I replied as I leaned closer, allowing the electricity between us to take control.

"Oh," she said simply as I reached out to stroke her cheek, my body reacting on pure instinct.

"I need a new escape," I whispered as my hand moved to her neck. I looked deep into her eyes, searching for some insight to her mind. I was determined to kiss her, unless she gave me some sign of disinterest. I saw nothing to indicate any displeasure, so I decided to make the next move.

"Bella, you could be that for me," I added as I leaned in to kiss her. Just as my lips were about to touch hers, I heard the worst sound utterly possible-the sound of two car doors slamming shut.

_Damn it!_

I froze in horror as I heard the sounds that came next. They were arguing-_as usual_-which meant that we were in for another fun-filled family evening. I reached into my pockets and pulled out a cigarette, waiting for them to settle down and go inside. I was immune to it at this point, but I sure as hell didn't want Bella to bear witness to their drama.

_Where the hell is my lighter?_ I thought as I sifted through my pockets.

I looked over at Bella and saw that she was silently holding out my lighter to me. I gave her a grateful smile and reciprocated, handing her a cigarette. We sat in silence for awhile, puffing away on our smokes, until the noise outside came to halt.

"Yeah, so this is my room," I muttered, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"It's nice," she sputtered, still looking uncomfortable.

I wanted to think of some way to reassure her at this moment. More than anything, I wanted to pick up where we had left off. Instead, I decided to quit before things got any worse.

"I guess I should take you home," I said with regret.

"Oh, right, yeah…we both have papers to write!" She chirped, attempting to make me smile.

"I guess…yeah," I snorted, before standing up and extending my hand to help her up as well. She eagerly accepted and allowed me to pull her to her feet. I continued to hold her hand as I led her across the room, up the stairs, and out to my car.

_I don't want to let her go._

Nevertheless, I did let her go. As we approached the car, my heart sank at the sight of Esme leaning against her car. I could see that she was crying.

"Go wait in the car, Bella," I commanded as I made my way over to my mom and wrapped my arms around her.

"Mom, what happened? Are you okay?" I asked as she cried on my shoulder.

"You _know_ what happened," she sobbed against my shirt. She lingered for a moment, before pushing me away and looking back and forth between Bella and me; her eyes widened in horror.

"I don't know what exactly you had going on with _her_…" she scolded. "Or what you were doing in there…" she said, pointing towards the basement doorway. "But, now is not the time, Edward. I respect your right to privacy, but I don't want to upset Carlisle any more than he already is."

"Mom, it's not what you think- "I began to explain before she cut me off.

"I'm not saying it is…I'm just saying that you need to take her home, and hurry back."

"Yeah, well, we were just about to leave anyway," I replied bitterly as I made my way back to my car.

"Edward, I'm sorry if I got you into trouble," Bella apologized as we made our way down the street towards her house. "Maybe you should pull over and we can talk about it."

"I'm fine, really," I answered callously. I knew I was acting like a jerk, but I was practically seeing red right now. I was trying my best to regain my control, but my efforts were in vain.

We pulled up to her house, and my body went numb. I was conflicted by my desire to stay here with Bella, as well as my need to get back home to my mom. After a moment of guilt, I decided to quit thinking of my own selfish needs, and get back home where I belonged. To my horror, I noticed Bella leaning in closer and closer to me.

_Oh shit, don't do this now!_

I quickly lit up a cigarette in an effort to thwart her actions. I knew it was a shitty thing to do, but I wanted our first kiss to be beautiful. It _would_ have been, earlier, but now the moment was tainted.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," I mumbled, feeling like a complete asshole.

"Yeah, tomorrow," she whispered as she got out of the car.

I forced myself to refrain from looking back at her. I was afraid that if I did I would change my mind.

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**Please review and tell me what you thought of the EPOV!**

**To MyOwnCrystalHeart: Your love for my story is very encouraging! The football game scene I promised you is coming soon!**


	9. Lunch

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your mad beta skills!**

**I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed thus far. Your encouragement makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! If you guys can hang on until the next chapter, I promise wonderful things will happen at the football game. It will be a dual pov, and things between BxE will finally get rolling along!**

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Thursday was the worst day I had experienced at my new school so far. I was so worked up from yesterday's events that I tossed and turned all night. I ended up falling asleep in Biology class, only to be awakened by Alice after the rest of the class had already filed out of the room.

I tried to shake my grogginess as I followed Alice to the lunchroom. After selecting our food we made our way towards the usual table, where I noticed a new presence. To my disbelief, Edward was sitting at the table beside Emmett across from where I typically sat! My heart almost leapt out of my chest as I mulled over the possibility that he could be waiting for me. Then again, I really didn't care what his reasoning was, only that he was here. I took a deep breath, put on a welcoming smile, and made my way to the table.

I paused for Edward's reaction as Jasper got up to pull our chairs out for us. _Such a gentleman! _

As I made my way to my seat, he looked up at me with his stained glass eyes, and flashed me a crooked smile.

"Edward!" Alice exclaimed as she made her way around his chair, giving him a slight hug from behind. "You decided to grace us with your presence today! I was wondering how long it would take you to come around!"

"Hey," I said weakly. It was all I could muster up now.

"Hey," he muttered, as he picked up an apple from his tray and rolled it between his hands. Was he nervous too? He didn't _look_ nervous. He just looked as he always did, as if he was silently brooding over some unknown injustice in the world while mentally undressing me with his eyes.

_I loved that look!_

"I heard about you corrupting Bella," Emmett said, giving Edward a slight shove in the shoulder. "Too bad you guys got caught. Rose and I got caught once; but of course, we were doing a bit more than smoking-" Emmett was interrupted by a playful smack from Rosalie.

"Shut up Emmett! They don't want to hear about our public shame any more than I want to be reminded of it!" Rosalie fumed, trying to sound pissed as everyone laughed at the disturbance. However, her expression betrayed her, exposing her obvious amusement to everyone.

Edward remained silent, and I let my mind travel back to our _almost_ kiss yesterday. I wondered if he was thinking about it as well.

"Bella, you never did tell me what you thought of the CD I gave you…" Edward said, twisting the stem of the apple until it broke free from its core, before finally taking a big bite.

I had completely forgotten about that. "Umm, I actually haven't gotten around to listening to it yet," I said, flashing him an apologetic smile. Of course, it's not like I actually had the means to listen to music very often_. Thanks Dad!_

He looked hurt, like I had just slapped him. I really felt bad, and began searching my brain for some excuse to give him. Lying was never my specialty, so I decided to go with the truth.

"You see, my dad doesn't actually allow me to listen to that kind of music," I began, while fidgeting with my tray. "Well, to any kind of music really."

The whole table grew uncomfortably silent; everyone suddenly abandoning their own conversations to take in the meaning of what I'd just said. I was somewhat embarrassed by the sudden attention, but luckily, no one attempted to make any jokes; which would only make me feel worse about the situation.

"Oh, man that...yeah, that sucks!" Emmett declared, shaking his head.

Edward's face softened up a bit, and I knew I had done the right thing by telling him the truth. The only problem was this kind of confession would probably stir up more questions, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to answer all of those just yet. I gave Alice a soft kick under the table, and it only took her a moment before she intervened.

"Okay, you guys! I need everyone to listen up!" Alice commanded, turning everyone's attention toward her. "We've got to get everything worked out for the game right now; it _is_ tonight, you know! Where are we all meeting up? I figured we would meet by the front gate? I mean, we usually meet there, but if you guys want to meet up somewhere else then we need to plan!"

"Alice, calm down," Jasper smirked. "You get yourself all worked up, and for what? We always do the same routine at every game. Just relax, sweetie, and let it go." He moved his hands to rub her shoulders. Alice closed her eyes and tilted her head down, instantly relaxing at his touch. Jasper knew exactly how to calm the wild pixie. _Color me impressed!_

"Well, _Eddie_, are you going to be there?" Rosalie pried as she shot Edward a questioning glance.

"You _know_ I hate it when you call me that, _Rosie! _But yes, we'll be there," he replied, before turning his eyes back to me and flashing me a dazzling smile.

_Did he just say, 'we'll' be there? _

I could tell by the shocked expressions around the table that his slip did not go unnoticed. Everyone exchanged knowing glances, but thankfully, no one pushed the issue. I flashed them all a grateful smile before turning my attention back to Edward.

When the warning bell rang I walked out, followed by Edward rather than Alice this time. In fact, he followed me all the way to my locker. As I fumbled with the lock, Edward leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. I couldn't help but pause to stare at him again. He looked so sexy leaning like that, but I wished I could tell what was going through his mind right now. Was he even going to speak? We had barely exchanged more than a greeting at lunch. It was more like we had been having an entire conversation with no words at all. He was so talkative yesterday, _amongst other things._

My mind continued to wander as I traded out my books for the rest of the day. I was beginning to think he just wasn't comfortable around crowds of people. That had to be it. That would explain why he normally kept to himself at lunch. It would also explain why he was so open with me when we were alone.

As I closed my locker door and secured the lock back into place, Edward finally opened his eyes and spoke. "So, I guess I'll be picking you up around five then?"

_Oh yeah, the football game!_

I suddenly remembered he had sort of asked me to go with him. What was I going to do now? My dad would never go for this, especially since I had already told him I would be going with Alice. I could only hope Charlie would understand and continue to be patient with me.

How was I going to explain this to Edward? I didn't want to hurt his feelings, especially after the earlier CD incident, but there was no other way. My dad would probably throw holy water on him or something if he showed up right now. Worst of all, he would never let me leave the house with him. "Well, actually, Edward-"

"You change your mind?" Edward interrupted, his eyes darkening from their normal hue.

"No, it's just…well…Dad," I rambled as I felt the panic sink in. "Can I just meet you there? You know, at the front gate with everyone else?" I pleaded.

He stared at me for a minute, and I braced myself for every possible answer. "Yeah, I guess so" he said, looking slightly annoyed. He turned and abruptly walked away. I figured it was best to quit while I was somewhat ahead, so I headed off to class.

That afternoon I caught up with Alice and Jasper and laid out my transportation problem.

"See, this is why we have to plan things out!" Alice proclaimed as I joined them in Jasper's truck. I could tell by his expression he thought she was adorable when she knew she was right.

"Baby, it's fine, I got this," Jasper assured her while directing the truck away from the school. "I'm dropping you guys off at your house so you can grab your car. You two can leave together from Bella's house, I'll meet up with Edward, and we can all reconvene in front of the main gate."

Alice leaned over and smashed her lips into his cheek. "Oh Jazz, this is why I love you so much!" she mumbled, in between kisses.

"Well, I hope that's not the only reason," Jasper replied as she pulled away. With a sure smile he added, "I'd hate to think you were just using me for my mind!"

At that point I reached into my bag, pulled out the CD from Edward, and inserted it into Jasper's CD player. The first song, Candlelight, came on and my mind returned to images of Edward.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at Alice's house. We said goodbye to Jasper and made our way into her yellow Volkswagen Beetle. She remained silent during the drive, but I could practically see the gears in her head turning again, and I wondered what she was plotting this time.

By the time we got to my house, I was determined to find the underlying cause of it.

"Alice, what's up?" I asked casually, as I pulled out my keys to unlock the door. "I'm sorry you have to drive me, but are you really upset with me?"

"Bella, don't be silly! It's all good; I'm not upset," she chuckled. She followed me into the house and immediately pulled me towards my room so we could get ready for the game. "I was actually just thinking about you and Edward."

"What do you mean 'me and Edward'?" I asked as we began rummaging through my closet. "I mean, there really isn't anything to think about," I denied as Alice retrieved my best, slim-fit jeans. I chose a royal blue blouse with a plunging neckline to pair with it.

"_Not yet_ I suppose, but things are changing!" she declared, selecting a top for herself. "Edward likes you."

"Alice, you couldn't possibly know that!" I mumbled, afraid to let myself believe her. I quickly threw on the jeans and top, and started searching for my old Converse sneakers.

"I just get a felling about things...and I'm not blind," she said as she discarded her school clothes on top of mine.

"Sounds more like wishful thinking to me," I teased as I laced up my shoes.

"It is happening, right before your eyes," she said knowingly. "You two have obvious chemistry, and will complement each other well. He's just so anti-social and, well, _broken_. Then there is you: the product of the lost Dad from that creepy Carrie movie! You both are searching for something, and I think it is each other."

"Well, he did _almost_ kiss me yesterday." I shivered as the memories of our almost-kiss flashed through my mind.

"See? When will you realize that Alice knows best?" she teased. The girl did have a point.

"In that case, Alice, will you help me with my makeup?" I asked, bringing her attention back to our immediate task. I rarely wore much makeup, but this was a special occasion.

"Of course I will!" she squealed, clapping her hands as she made her way to my bathroom. "Oh, and I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable talking about this, so I'll try not to do it anymore," she added as she tore through my makeup selection.

"It's okay," I replied, not wanting to linger on the subject. "You're just being Alice."

I walked over and gave her a quick hug after she applied the finishing touches for tonight. We had barely finished when I heard the front door opening.

"Bella, I'm home," Charlie yelled as he made his way into the house.

"Hi Mr. Swan!" Alice chirped as she waved at him furiously from the doorway of my room. I had told her not to bother, but she refused to accept defeat. She was going to win him over or die trying.

"Hello Alice. What's going on here?" Charlie asked as he made his way towards my current position by the kitchen. He didn't sound _too_ pissed, just not entirely pleased.

"Hey Dad, Alice and I were just getting ready for the game tonight." I began, watching him eye me suspiciously. "Remember? We talked about it the other day," I added. He hadn't said no although, he hadn't exactly said yes either.

Charlie folded his arms across his chest and stared at me for what felt like an eternity. "Yeah, I recall something about it. I suppose it's okay, but is so much makeup necessary?"

_Here we go_, I thought to myself, trying to think a way to diffuse the situation. "Dad, please don't-"

"Just be sure to come straight home afterwards," he said abrasively as he shook his finger in my face. "Do you understand me, Bella?"

"Yes sir," I answered, trying to remain perfectly still. I had learned that trick from a National Geographic specail about bear attacks.

"And, Alice," he said, shifting his finger to point at her. "I expect her home in the same condition she leaves in," he demanded. "Do you understand as well?"

"Yes Mr. Swan," she said sweetly. "Don't worry; I'll take good care of her. The game will be heavily chaperoned and I have a clean driving record. Besides, my parents expect me back at a reasonable hour as well."

"Well, that's good. Sounds like my kind of parenting." With that, he went to the den and left us to our privacy.

I quickly laid out some leftovers from the previous day on the table, and then Alice and I headed out to the game.

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**Thanks for reading.**

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	10. The Game

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Thanks to everyone who has read & reviewed my story. Your support is very encouraging!**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for your dedication to the story! Check them out on TLYDF this week!**

**This chapter is EPOV/BPOV. It is twice as long as my usual posts, with a lot of things going on at once. Pace yourself, this on is the best chapter so far. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Also, the jungle gym scene was inspired by the song Transatanticism by Death Cab for Cutie. I highly recommend listening to it if you wan the full effect.**

**MyOwnCrystalHeart-This chappie is for you! No more making you wait.****EPOV**

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_I am such an asshole!_ I thought to myself as I drove towards my house. Why had I made such an issue out of her meeting me at the game? Thanks to my impatience, I now had _two _strikes against me. One more strike and I would be out of this game, before it ever got started.

Of course, striking out had been my worst fear since the very first time I had talked with her. I had worked very hard for a very long time to keep people from getting too close. Sure, I had my friends, but I knew better than to try to drag anyone else into my world; I was too messed up inside to be good for anyone. Besides that, I was going to be leaving soon enough and could not afford to have any distractions right now.

However, there was something about Bella that I hadn't been able to shake-something about those deep, brown eyes. Every time she looked at me, it felt like she had somehow broken through my tough exterior, straight into my soul. There was something else there too, something I couldn't quite decipher; there was a pain in her expression, a sadness that mirrored my own heart.

She also didn't seem at all concerned with the typical superficial high school crap like most girls her age. Bella was so much deeper, more of an _old_ soul. Perhaps she was forced to grow up sooner than she should have been; perhaps she had spent time in the shadows as well. Whatever it was, she had managed to turn my world upside down.

She had managed to _inspire_ me as well. I pulled my car into the driveway, and quickly made my way into the basement. I had a little time before Jasper would be here, and I wanted to work on a new song she had brought to my mind. I bypassed my Stratocaster and pulled my trans-red acoustic guitar out of its hard-shell case. I took a seat on my couch and paused for a minute, waiting for my inspiration to flow.

I closed my eyes and absently began strumming the guitar, until the images of _her_ filled my mind and flowed out through my fingertips in the form of music. The notes continued to pour out of me until I had the melody down perfectly.

My heart smiled. My soul was happy.

I set the guitar down in order to grab a notebook and pen. I wanted to write everything down while it was fresh on my mind. Once I had everything in front of me, I reached for my guitar, pausing as I noticed a new presence in the room.

"Hello, Edward. Please, don't let me interrupt you," Carlisle said as he took a set on my bed. It didn't escape my notice that he had a nice glass of scotch in his hand.

"What do you want, Dad? _Something?" _I said icily, trying to convey to him that he wasn't welcome here.

"Watch yourself," he warned, taking a gulp of scotch. "I'm your father!"

I winced, and immediately struck back at him. "You should act like one if you expect to be treated as such," I spat defiantly. I could tell by his shocked expression that I had caught him off guard.

"If this is about what happened yesterday between your mother and me, well- "

"At least _she_ is trying…unlike _some_ of us," I interrupted, knowing he would probably make me regret my words. They had been seeing a marriage counselor, but Carlisle had missed their appointment yesterday. Esme had driven around town, searching all his usual bars, until she finally found him and forced him to leave with her.

Carlisle leapt to his feet, causing me to react instinctively and do the same. We met and came to a stop in the middle of the room, eyes locked in a glaring standoff. We remained motionless as the minutes slowly passed by.

Finally, my attention faltered as Jasper burst through the door from outside. "Hey, Edward, are you ready to head out to the game?" He froze, looking back and forth between Carlisle and me, and assessed the severity of the situation before him.

I took a few steps back and turned to address him. "Jasper, I'll have to catch up with you later," I mumbled, clenching my fists in an effort to maintain control of myself. Jasper nodded, and quickly made his way out of the basement. He was not entirely oblivious to the difficulties I had with my dad; he had witnessed my dad's drunken antics many times over the years.

"Now, _Dad_, about what happened yesterday…" my voice trailed off as I turned to face him once again.

Carlisle rushed forward and grabbed my shoulders. "Edward, _listen _to me!"

"Get your hands off me!" I retaliated, shoving him backwards.

Carlisle growled and quickly lunged into me, knocking me full force into my amplifier. I cursed under my breath as he stood over me, his face frozen in shock from what he had just done.

"Edward, I…I didn't mean to do that," Carlisle lamented. He never _seemed _to mean any of it.

"Yeah, you _never _do," I mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear me. "Why don't you go have another drink, _Dad_?"

"You know what? I think I just might do that," he spat back at me, his voice infused with anger. He turned and left me on the floor, which suited me just fine.

Once he had closed the door behind him, I collapsed on my bed and tried to calm myself. It was not an easy task to achieve, so I sat up and pulled out a cigarette.

_Where the hell is my lighter?_ I thought, frantically digging through my pockets. The thought promptly changed my mental image to one of warm, brown eyes and a graceful hand holding out a lighter to me.

_Bella was waiting for me at the football game!_

I immediately jumped to my feet, and raced out the door. The last thing I needed was a third strike against me.

**BPOV**

Alice and I approached the entrance to the football field, and I felt the anticipation that had quickly built up inside of me. Jasper was the first to take notice of our arrival, and he immediately came over and scooped Alice up in a welcoming embrace. I looked around to find Edward, but only found Rosalie and Emmett pressed up against his jeep, making out.

I stood there feeling lost and out of place. Jasper had said that he was coming with Edward; I was sure that had been the plan. Alice must have seen the pained expression on my face and realized the missing factor here.

"Jazz, where's Edward?" she asked as she broke free from his embrace.

Jasper was hesitant to answer. "He…umm… he had something come up at the last minute."

Something about his face did not sit well with me. I hadn't known him very long, but it looked like he was hiding something. Perhaps I had upset Edward before when I told him I would be riding with Alice instead of him.

"You mean he's _not_ coming?" Alice gasped, as my face fell in utter disappointment.

"No, he'll be here. He's just going to be a few minutes late." Jasper replied, flashing me an apologetic smile. "He said we should go on inside though."

"Okay guys!" Emmett roared as he and Rosalie joined our circle. "It's almost time for the game! Let's go find a good seat so we won't miss any of the action."

As they all turned to walk toward the gate, I stood still. "Hey guys, I'll be there in a minute." I announced as I shot Alice a look, willing her to let me be. She noticed it right away, gave me a quick nod, and urged the others to continue into the stadium.

I kept glancing down at my watch, trying to ignore the sinking feeling building in the pit of my stomach. Surely, he would be here soon.

I felt so foolish standing in the empty parking lot. I soon heard a round of cheers from the crowd inside, signaling that the players were taking the field. Of course, I had no real interest in the game itself; I was only here to support Team Edward.

Finally, I saw the silver Volvo turning into the parking lot. I waited, as he pulled up beside me and rolled down the window.

"Get in," he commanded, his voice dark and full of anguish.

My body reacted instinctively to his words and I quickly found myself beside him in the car.

His tires squealed as we sped out of the parking lot, out into the night. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he drove us down the street. I was afraid to say anything because he looked so angry, and yet he was still so beautiful to me at the same time. Finally, he turned into the local park, swerved into a space, and quickly shut off the engine.

We sat for a few moments in uncomfortable silence, before Edward let out a deep breath and looked over at me. "Do you mind if we hang out here for awhile? I…I don't feel like being around a crowd," he murmured shakily.

"That's fine with me," I replied softly as I looked at my surroundings. The sun had completely set, but a full moon now heavily illuminated the night sky in its place. I was certain it was illegal to be in the park at night, but unsure whether or not I cared.

I looked over at Edward as he leaned back in his seat. He had his eyes tightly closed as if it _hurt _too much to open them. Staring over at his beautiful face, I decided I didn't care about anything other than him right at the moment.

Edward opened his eyes and turned to face me again. His gaze was fierce as he reached over and lightly caressed my cheek with the tips of his fingers. "So pure," he whispered as his hand slid down my face and cupped my chin. He leaned in slowly, until our noses were almost touching. I closed my eyes as his lips pressed against mine in a soft, chaste kiss.

The feeling of his lips pressed against mine ignited my entire body with flames of desire. Just when I thought my life couldn't get any better, he traced over my lips with the tip of his tongue, seeking permission to enter. I quickly responded by parting them and greeted his tongue eagerly with my own. He tasted sweeter than ice cream; something I didn't even realize was possible.

I was so lost in the kiss that I forgot to breathe. I was grateful when Edward finally pulled away for air; another minute longer and I might have fainted.

Edward looked at me, his face no longer hard and angry, and gave a half-smile. "Come on," he said wickedly as he opened his door, made his way out of the car, and began walking towards the playground.

I followed his lead across the playground, all the way to the top of the jungle gym.

**EPOV**

We sat in silence on the highest platform, staring out into the night. Although I tried my best to keep my feelings to myself, she seemed to notice I was upset.

"Edward, do you want to talk about it?" she asked, laying her head to rest on my shoulder.

I knew that she deserved an answer; however, I didn't want to think about anything other than the closeness of her at that moment. The kiss we had shared was the greatest moment of my existence, and for once, I had felt complete. Of course, now I was practically drowning in an ocean of new feelings and urges, and knew that I should continue talking until I was in control of myself.

"I don't know where to begin, it's pretty messed up…" I began as I pulled out my long lost lighter I had finally discovered in my car and began nervously flicking it.

"It's okay; you can trust me," I she said sincerely, urging me to continue.

I pulled out my Camels and took in a deep breath. "Well…see, years ago my parents went through a sort of _rough patch_." I paused, lighting up my cigarette and taking a heavy draw. "What I mean to say is that my mom had an affair. Unfortunately, Carlisle developed a drinking problem shortly thereafter. He seriously considered getting a divorce, but loved her too much to let her go. It's gotten so bad these days that he has become a mere shell of the man he once was."

"Why would she do that to him, or to you for that matter?" she asked, her eyes wide with an incredulous expression. I had been pondering the same question about for many years now. I was beginning to think that some people brought out the worst in one another, and maybe love was not always enough. However, I didn't feel the need to tell her all of that; I had already put a big enough damper on the evening.

I exhaled a cloud of smoke and shook my head. "It doesn't even matter now. I used to blame her, but she has more than paid for her mistake."

"So, was he drinking tonight? Is that why you were late?" she asked in a gentle, caring voice. Her concern seemed very genuine, causing me to appreciate her even more.

I paused, flicking some ash from my cigarette and running my free hand through my hair, trying to figure out the best way to convey the seriousness of the situation. "He _was_ drinking, but it's more than that. He gets _really_ angry at my mom."

Bella gasped. "So, by 'angry'…you mean he becomes abu-"

"Anyway," I interrupted, knowing the truth for myself, but unsure whether I was ready to have it stated aloud. "I've only got a few more months to go, and then I can get the hell out of there,"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked abruptly, the confusion evident on her face as she struggled to grasp the meaning behind my words.

"Well, I've been taking a lot of advanced classes, so I'll be graduating this year instead of next," I explained. "I'm a little overwhelmed most of the time, but I want to spend the next year working on my music."

"Wait…you're a senior?" she gasped, looking like she had just had the wind knocked out of her. I must have caught her a bit off guard, but I had assumed Alice and Rosalie would have filled her in on all of the details about me. I realized at that moment just how little we knew about each other.

"Yeah, I guess I am…." I shrugged as a sense of pride combined with dread washed over me.

**BPOV**

Edward was clearly in need of some comfort tonight, so I tried to ignore my own feelings, and be supportive of him. "That's wonderful, Edward," I lied, praying he wouldn't see through my façade.

It suddenly occurred to me that talking about the problem may not have been the kind of comfort he needed right now; especially since he had brought me out here to get away from everything, not to re-live it. Perhaps what he _really _needed right now was an escape.

If I were being completely honest with myself, I would know that I was in need of one as well.

I lifted my head from his shoulder and slowly began trailing kisses across his neck. Edward reacted immediately, tossing his cigarette aside and turning to face me. Without a word he reached out, wrapped his arms around my waist, and lowered me gently onto the wooden platform. He hovered over me briefly, staring deep into my eyes, before crashing his lips hungrily into mine.

This kiss was one of desperation and urgency-much different from the one in the car. There was nothing _pure_ about this. I responded with a soft moan, gripping his hair tightly and pulling him closer against me. As I felt the full weight of his body against mine, my breathing became ragged and my heart raced in a way that left me feeling more alive than ever before.

Edward's hands were suddenly everywhere at once, leaving electric currents in the wake of each touch. The feeling was so intense that I thought I might explode right there from the pure ecstasy of him.

He _wanted_ me, he _needed_ me, and I was his for the taking!

His hands travelled down my body, lingering for a moment at my waist, before slipping under the hem of my shirt. Slowly, his hands made their way up my bare torso, and lightly traced over my breasts. He inhaled sharply, in one swift motion, pushed my shirt and my bra out of the way, and lowered his mouth to my aching body. His tongue gently swept over the curves of my breasts, causing me to press my hips instinctively against his.

"Bella…" he breathed against my skin. "Need you…so much!"

I longed to feel his flesh against mine, so I began tugging at his shirt. He rose up and pulled his shirt over his head, letting it fall over the edge to the ground below.

"Edward," I whimpered. I couldn't help but notice the way the moonlight illuminated his bare chest.

_My God, he was beautiful!_

"Need… you…too." My ragged breaths turned to nervous pants as his hands moved to release the button of my jeans. His actions came to an abrupt halt at the sound of his cell phone buzzing from his pocket.

"Shit!" He cursed as he rolled over on his side, retrieved the phone from inside his pocket, and took the call. "Hello? Yeah…nothing! I said I'm fine! No, she's with me. Okay…yeah…We'll be there in ten minutes." Edward scowled and placed his phone back in his pocket.

"Who was that?" I asked while trying to cover my exposed chest. Edward stood up and shook his head in frustration while I moved my shirt and bra back into place. As disappointed as I was for _another _interruption, I needed a minute to clear my head. His presence had left me feeling intoxicated, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

_It certainly _felt _good though. _

"That was Jasper and a very over-stimulated Alice," he announced with a sigh. "The game is over, and we won by seven points. Emmett and Rosalie have already left, and Jasper and Alice are _patiently _waiting on us." Edward reached for my hand, and I reluctantly allowed him to pull me to my feet. "I told him we would head back and meet them out front."

Once we were both safely on the ground, Edward found his shirt and threw it on. He flashed me a devious grin, before taking my hand and leading me back to the car.

This time, he opened the door for me.

As soon as we were back in the car, Edward didn't waste any time heading back towards the school. While we raced back through the town, I decided to bring up a few lingering questions I had about his academic status.

"Hey," I began as I boldly reached over and took his hand, lacing my fingers with his. "How do you manage to be not only one of the school's top students, but one of their top trouble makers as well?"

Edward grinned innocently. "Well, I suppose _that _is one of the perks of being so smart."

"Wh…what do you mean?" I stuttered, unsure of what he was getting at.

"If it weren't for my grades, I would have been expelled by now," he said matter-of-factly. "Principle Arnold doesn't want to leave a mark on his top students, so I tend to get a lot of slaps on the wrist."

"Oh," I replied. I wanted to continue the conversation further, but we were back at the school in a matter of minutes.

As soon as we pulled into the school parking lot, I saw Alice and Jasper waiting by the gate. I could tell by their questioning stares that they were wondering what had transpired between us tonight. I didn't want to give them the wrong impression about our activities, so I tried to look as innocent as my flustered face and swollen lips would allow.

"I guess I'll see you later then," Edward sighed, releasing my hand to put the car into gear. "Oh, and thank you…_for tonight_."

"It was _my_ pleasure," I flirted. I wanted to give him a goodbye kiss, but Jasper was already waiting outside my door and I didn't want to chance another rejection. Instead, I settled for giving him a warm smile.

I got out of the car and made my way over to Alice. As soon as Jasper got in the car, Edward sped away as quickly as he had come.

_I wish it were me in that car with him._

"Bella," Alice pouted. "There you are! You guys missed the entire game!"

"I'm sorry, Edward was just having a bad night…" I said, letting my voice trail off as we made our way to Alice's car. There was no need to elaborate any more than that, since it wasn't my story to tell.

"He has a lot of bad nights these days," she replied with an exasperated sigh. "But you're good for him, Bella; I can see the change in him already!"

I wasn't sure how _good_ I was being for him right now. Still, I didn't want to get into it, so I agreed and got in the car. My thoughts were swimming with the details of tonight's events, when Alice began her interrogation.

"So, Bella, how was it? I mean, did you kiss?" She demanded, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Yeah, we did," I replied as I felt my face get all flustered again. Thankfully, it was dark enough now to hide my embarrassment.

"What kind of kiss was it?" She pried, turning onto my street.

"It was…intense! I mean…he's intense, but in a good way…I think," I rambled while fighting the urge to jump up and do a happy dance in her tiny car.

As we pulled into my driveway, Alice put the car in park and threw her arms around my neck. "I'm also happy that you're finally seeing things my way."

"Well, it is now official: Alice knows best!" I announced as I got out of the car and waved goodbye to her.

As I made my way inside, I found Charlie sitting in his recliner, reading his Bible. I figured he must have been waiting up for me. I prayed silently that he would not be able to smell the smoke as I made my way across the room.

"Hey Dad," I whispered as I walked past him. I hated to bother him during his devotional time, but there didn't seem to be any way around it.

"Hey," he said without even looking up. "It's late, so you should probably head on off to bed."

"Yes sir," I acquiesced as I hurried to my room, not wanting to argue with him. I was relieved to see that he didn't want to talk to me any more than I wanted to talk to him. However, I would have given anything to be able to talk to Mom right now.

I plopped down on my bed and imagined us digging into a carton of ice cream while I told her all of the details of my night with Edward. I wished I had gotten the chance to ask her about her first kiss before she had left me.

I began to realize now just how little I did know about her life. I wondered if my dad had been her first love. Now that I thought about it, I wondered if she ever loved my dad at all. I suppose she must have loved him; otherwise, I would not be here now. I bet she could have told me many stories about the how he used to be, before he became the way he was now.

I let myself imagine us laughing while we looked through old scrapbooks and diaries. My mom had been so full of life, and I'm sure she would have plenty of good stories to tell. I'm sure Dad had some too, but he would most likely take his to the grave.

I may never know the stories of my parents, but what I did know was that my own were starting to unfold before my eyes.

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**Thank you for reading!**

**Please review and tell me what you thought. This makes two updates in one week. Because I'm starting to write longer chapters, my updates may take slightly longer.**

**Next chapter involves Emmett's reaction to a trip to Victorias Secret! **


	11. Shopping

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help!**

**This chapter is dedicated to the amazing Porche911turbo, my #1 fan! Here is some Emmett love for ya!****BPOV**

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I opened up my eyes to the morning light and groaned. I hated to let go of the dream I had been having of a boy with disheveled, bronze hair, strumming a black guitar in the moonlight; but I knew it was time to get up and start moving. Today was my big shopping day with Alice and Rosalie; it was something I had been looking forward to for a while. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to spend time with the girls, what I _really_ wanted to do was spend time with Edward.

Over the past couple of weeks things had somewhat cooled off between Edward and me. We had both agreed that we needed to get to know one another better before taking our physical relationship any further, and had settled into a comfortable routine. He waited for my bus to arrive at school in the mornings, sat with me at our group's table during lunch, and drove me home after school. I still had not summoned up the courage to tell Charlie about him, leaving us with only an hour after school to be alone together. I didn't dare invite him into my house without Charlie's consent; instead, we spent many afternoons in the basement room of his home.

Edward's room had quickly become my favorite place in the whole world. I never tired of watching him play his guitars, and he was always happy to oblige. It didn't matter to me what style of music he played; the acoustic ballads allowed him to open up his heart to me, while the electric power chords ignited my desire for him.

He still had his days where he seemed completely shut down. On those days, he would sit with us at lunch, but never speak a word to anyone other than me. He would engage me in small talk, but never divulge what was bothering him. He would also take me straight home after school, rather than going to his house. He never asked to come inside; he seemed perfectly content to have me sit with him in his car for an hour, holding me close while we listened to music. I was almost certain these days were a result of some kind of altercations with his dad, but I never brought it up.

I finally climbed out of bed and fumbled through my closet, searching for something decent to wear.

I really did need to buy some new clothes. I had never needed much before, what with the uniforms and all. I hoped Alice and Rosalie would be able to help me make the most of the flimsy allowance money I had been saving up. I couldn't help my lack of funds, since Charlie didn't trust me to get a part-time job.

I settled upon a modest green blouse and a pair of slim-fit jeans. I slipped on my sneakers and made my way down the hall. When I got to the kitchen, Charlie was sipping on coffee with his Bible lying open on the table.

"Morning Dad," I whispered as I made my way over to the fridge.

"You're going shopping today, right?" He asked flatly, as he looked up from his Bible at me and took a sip of coffee.

"Yes sir," I replied as I dug through the contents of the fridge, pulling out the orange juice.

"Do you have enough money?" He asked, as if he were genuinely concerned.

_Who are you and what have you done with Charlie? _

"Well, I…um… have some allowance money I've saved up for a while. It's not a lot, but I should be fine," I replied with hesitation, unsure how to react to his sudden change in behavior.

"Here, take this," he said, handing me some cash from out of his wallet. "Make sure you get some new jeans; the ones you have seemed to be getting too small," he informed me calmly, not daring to look me in the eyes while he spoke.

_Now I see why he's being so nice! _I knew there was some hidden motive for his new behavior, and it wasn't genuine concern. He wanted me to buy clothing that is more "modest". Then again, maybe I should lighten up on him a bit, especially since he was lightening up on me.

"Dad, you're embarrassing me," I gushed as I took the money from his outstretched hand. It was about sixty dollars, _very_ generous for him. "Thanks Dad," I said, stuffing the bills in my tiny pockets.

He gave a slight grunt and went back to his reading while I poured myself a glass of juice, drinking it quickly, before heading into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I had just finished brushing my hair when I heard the knock at the door. I quickly dabbed on some opaque lip-gloss and went to greet Alice.

"Good morning, sunshine!" she squealed as I opened the door. "Are you ready for our shopping day extravaganza?"

"Yeah, I'm all set!" I replied as I grabbed my bag from the table beside the front door. "Bye, Dad! I'll be back in a little while," I yelled over my shoulder, letting him know I was leaving. With that, we were off to retrieve the final member of our team.

As we approached Rosalie's house, I was completely overwhelmed: it was really more of a mansion. I could tell she came from money, but little did I realize just how _much_ money. I tried to hide my amazement, but Alice seemed to be a bit of a psychic.

"I know it's crazy, isn't it? You get used to it though," she reassured me. "Rose doesn't really like to make any issue of it though, so just try to act like you didn't notice anything special, okay?"

"Sure, I can do that," I replied, feeling relieved that her family's wealth wouldn't be an issue with us.

"Hey, you two!" Rosalie greeted as she appeared at the door and quickly climbed into the backseat of Alice's Beetle. "Please, get me out of here _now_!"

As we made our way into the city, I sat frozen in my seat, trying to think up of a way to prod them for information without being too obvious. However, it was no use; I wasn't getting _anything _by them.

"Bella, what's happening with you and Cullen these days?" Rosalie asked suggestively as she poked her head into the space between Alice and me. The car came to a stop at the traffic light, and Alice and Rosalie both turned to stare at me, their expressions demanding that I give them all of the details.

"_Nothing_ is happening," I groaned, rolling my eyes in annoyance.

"Oh….well, we need to do something about that," Rosalie said with a knowing smile. "I'm kind of surprised; Edward's always been so damned determined to keep to himself. I've known plenty of girls who liked him, but he's never shown any real interest in anyone until you came along."

Her statement made me feel good, but I was still unsure of how I should proceed.

For the remainder of the drive, the girls listened intently as I carefully went over all of the details from my afternoons with Edward. The only part I left out was Edward's personal stuff with his parents; that was Edward's story to tell.

**EPOV**

I woke up late into the morning, staring up at the mural of the moon on my wall, wondering what Bella was doing at that moment. I didn't know if it were possible for me to wait until Monday to see her again; over the last few weeks she had become the most important thing in my life. She had brought me to life, setting me on fire with emotions I had never imagined I could feel.

I still felt guilty for my behavior towards her at the football game, where I had practically mauled her like a wild animal; I knew she deserved better than that. Since that night I had tried my best to slow things down with her, not wanting to push her into anything she wasn't ready for.

Still, I wanted her more with each passing day.

I made my way out of bed, climbing over Emmett who had passed out on my floor after last night's festivities. He had managed to score us a few beers, and he and Jasper had spent the night in my basement. We had stayed up very late, playing poker and listening to music. They were both respectful of my private nature, never pressing me for information or details of my relationship with Bella. I could tell they had noticed the change in me over the last couple of weeks. Thanks to Bella, I was more sociable than I had been in the last year.

Jasper woke shortly after me, jumping up from my couch suddenly, due to an early call from Alice. I decided to go ahead and wake up Emmett, since he was the only one still sleeping.

"Dude, I'm sleeping here!" Emmett groaned as I nudged his side with my foot. "What time is it anyway?"

"Time for you to wake your lazy ass up and join the living," I urged as I noticed Jasper ending his call with Alice.

"Guys," Jasper yawned as he put his phone back into his pocket. "I think we should go to the mall today."

"What the hell, Hale?" I groaned, wondering why he would suggest the mall of all places. I decided he was holding something back from me. "What did Alice say?"

Jasper smirked knowingly at my glaring face. "She said they're going shopping."

I felt my face break into a huge grin as I tried in vain to suppress the excitement building up in me as I realized the implications of his statement. I was going to get to see Bella again today!

"Well, that settles it," Emmett interceded, noticing my idiotic grin. "I say we're going to the mall."

"How do you know they will be at the mall?" I asked nervously, not wanting to chance missing her.

"Because we know where our girls shop!" Emmett roared, slapping me on the back as well.

He _would_ know_._

We cleaned ourselves up and set off to the mall. Once we found a place to park, I suddenly realized how _large_ the mall was; they could have been anywhere inside.

"Okay," Emmett confided as we walked to the entrance. "I already told Rosie where to meet us."

Leave it to Emmett to have all of the answers; he was so whipped. Then again, who was I to judge? All three of us would lose our "man card" after this little adventure.

**BPOV**

Eventually we arrived at the mall, and made our way from store to store, laughing and exchanging stories about our first kisses. Alice was very skeptical about my clothing selections, frowning heavily at anything I picked out that was a "relaxed" selection. That was until she completely surprised me by handing me a pair of denim overalls, insisting I try them on as well.

"Alice, I don't get it," I said, confused by her change in attitude. "This is something Iwould have picked out."

Rosalie snickered, while Alice's face wore an angelic smile. "Silly Bella, every girl needs a pair of these; they serve _multiple_ purposes."

_Multiple purposes?_

"Surely, you don't mean we we're going to be embarking on some sort of _manual_ labor," I questioned, not sure what she was getting at. Their reaction was a sudden burst of laughter, which left me feeling even more confused.

As soon as Rosalie got her laughter under control, she intervened. "What she means is they provide _easy_ _access_."

"Yeah, and…um…Edward will love them!" Alice encouraged, pushing me into the dressing room with an armload of clothes. "It's these or we resort to miniskirts; I figured these were more your style."

It suddenly came to me, as I was trying on the overalls, what _'_easy access' meant. I was thankful to be hidden in the dressing room, so they couldn't see my cheeks flushed from mortification. I supposed this was their way of "helping" me to move things along with Edward. Despite my embarrassment, I felt excited by the new possibilities that lied within the denim.

I let my mind flood with thoughts of Edward as I tried on one piece of clothing after another, trying to picture his reaction to each one. I was not especially fond of some of Alice's choices, but I was _definitely_ getting the overalls.

After we had each paid for our selections, Rosalie insisted we go to Victoria's Secret next; she said she wanted to buy something _special _for Emmett. Apparently, their relationship was very _advanced_. I had figured as much already, but she confirmed my suspicions when she selected a red leather thong from a table.

"What do you think, ladies?" Rosalie asked suggestively, while holding up the thong for our approval.

"I think Emmett's a lucky man," Alice answered as she sorted through a display of lace panties.

As if the garment itself wasn't embarrassing enough, the situation became much worse when a group of guys started whistling and calling out to us from outside the store. Just when I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, I looked up and saw their faces as they entered the store.

It was _our _guys!

I considered crawling into the nearest clothing rack to hide when Rosalie began twirling the thongs in the air, signaling for Emmett to come on over. However, as soon as my eyes met Edward's, I found myself instantly moving toward him instead.

**EPOV**

We made our way through the crowded mall, coming to a stop in front of the bright, pink store.

_Victoria's Secret!_

As if she had been acting on cue, I saw Rosalie holding up a red thong. Emmett whistled, and Jasper called out to get Alice's attention. I lingered in the store's entrance, while they caught up with the girls.

Then, I caught sight of Bella. She had just stepped away from a clothing rack that had been blocking my view of her; she looked somewhat embarrassed by my discovering her in the store. Still, she strolled over to meet me at the front entrance where I had been lingering.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" she asked, appearing surprised by our arrival.

"Hello Bella," I replied sheepishly. Her closeness was dizzying, but I managed to find my words. "These guys are so whipped they just couldn't stay away," I chuckled as I leaned in closer to Bella, fighting the urge to pick her up and carry her right out of the store. Instead, I reached down and took her bags. She seemed surprised by my act of chivalry, but her smile told me she understood the meaning.

"I'm guessing then, after that little display," she began, staring intently into my eyes, "that Emmett will be following Rosalie around like a lost puppy for the rest of the day."

"Yeah," I answered with a snort. "So I guess you're stuck with me." She looked less than confident, so I snaked my arm around her waist, pulling her close in a gesture of reassurance. We lingered for a moment, before allowing the others to distract us.

They were now leaving the store, and I almost died laughing at the sight of Emmett clutching the little pink bag in his hand and walking hand-in-hand with a smug-looking Rosalie. We set off after them, staying just a few steps behind the others for a sense of privacy.

"So, where to next?" Jasper called out as we roamed the mall aimlessly. "Are you ladies getting hungry?"

Before any of us could answer, Emmett made the decision for us. "Man, I'm freaking starving! Let's go grab something to eat."

We all agreed, and made our way to the food court. I knew this was a shitty excuse for a date, but it would have to do for now.

We let the girls secure a table while we set off to hunt for pizza.

**BPOV**

"You guys are too cute," Alice beamed as I took a seat beside her at the food court table. "I can't get over how well you complement each other. I hope Charlie takes to him as easily as he did to me."

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that one. I seriously doubt if he's ready for all of that just yet." I couldn't help but show my doubt as I spoke.

"What's the big deal? He can't expect you to stay a virgin forever," Rosalie blurted out. She and Alice broke into a fit of giggles as my face became horror-stricken for the third time that day.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I replied calmly, scanning the room for our guys.

"You're right," Alice giggled. "Edward would probably have to become an altar boy before Charlie would even _consider_ letting you go out with him."

The mental picture Alice provided me with was almost too much to handle. Edward didn't really strike me as a "church" kind of guy, so that was out of the question. Eventually, I would figure out a way to introduce Edward to Charlie; I just hadn't come up with any ideas that seemed appropriate yet.

Luckily, the guys arrived with the food before the conversation could go any further. Instead, we focused on lighter subjects, such as how many slices of pizza Emmett could cram into his mouth without choking. Evidently, he broke his standing record of five slices.

The rest of the afternoon continued with ease; Edward and I were content within each other's presence, until it was time to say goodbye. I couldn't stand the thought of not seeing Edward again until Monday and It was obvious from his behavior that Edward was struggling with the same problem. I knew that we could not continue this way much longer, but I had no idea how to change the situation.

"Why can't I just come over and meet your dad?" Edward asked, once I informed him I wouldn't be able to see him tomorrow.

"I told you, Edward, Sunday is off limits with him. We go to church, eat dinner, and then do nothing else for the remainder of the day."

"That sounds pretty shitty to me," he replied harshly.

"Well…it is,_ actually_, but that's how things are." I hated to disappoint him, but the situation was beyond my control.

"Just kiss her already so we can get going," Rosalie hissed. Edward glared back at her, but finally complied before leaving me with the girls.

His kiss was so deep-so passionate- that I felt like I might just wither away when his lips parted mine.

The ride home was a memorable one. Alice cranked up the radio, so we all sang along loudly and extremely off key, all the way back to Rosalie's house.

"Thanks girls," Rosalie said as she got out of the car and began gathering up her bags. "I had a really great time! Bella, this is a little something from Alice and me," she added as she handed me a little pink bag of my own.

"What is this for?" I asked, shocked as I pulled out a blue lace thong. I had no idea _when_ they had bought this for me, let alone _why_.

"Relax," Rosalie teased as she rolled her eyes dramatically. "It's just a little something to go with those overalls. Anyway, I'll see you two Monday!"

I sat there with my mouth hanging open, still holding the skimpy piece of fabric, as I watched Rosalie depart from us and into her home. Alice reached over and pulled the panties out of my frozen hand, putting them back into the bag, before pulling out of the driveway.

"Come on, you know you like them," Alice teased as we made our way down the street.

I felt my cheeks flush again, as I realized how right she was. "Yeah, I do," I tried to explain. "It's all just a little…dizzying."

Alice giggled at my deer-in-the-headlights demeanor. "I know it is, but that's why you two need to pace yourselves!" Alice chirped, trying to boost my confidence.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow?" Alice asked casually as we pulled into my driveway.

"Ugh, I have to go to church," I grumbled, gathering up my bags. I had bought a lot of stuff, so it was not an easy task.

"What church doyou go to?" She asked casually, handing me the pink bag with a sly smile spread across her face.

"Oh, we go to that big white one over on Dacus Drive," I replied absently, trying to concentrate on gathering up my things.

"I think I know which one you're talking about," she replied as she watched me try to bury the pink bag inside a large bag of clothes. "Is it the one with all of the pretty windows?"

"Yep!" I replied, trying my best to keep from dropping any of my bags that were overwhelming me.

"Hey, do you need any help?" She giggled, watching me struggle.

"I'm good," I said as I grabbed the last one. "Thanks again for an amazing day!"

"No problem, Bella, I had a lot of fun too. So I guess I'll see you on Monday!"

"Yeah, see ya!" I waved before turning and making my way inside.

I entered the house and to my relief, Charlie was not staking out the living room. I went straight to my room to put all of my clothes away, remembering to tuck away the little pink bag into the far corner of my closet first. As I was cutting the tags off a new sweater, I heard a knock on my door.

"Bella, can I come in?" Charlie asked from the hallway. I groaned as I made my way to open the door.

"Hey, Dad, I was just putting my stuff away," I began as he walked right past me, towards my bed. I cringed as he started inspecting my purchases.

Charlie picked up the overalls, turned to me, and smiled. "I see you took my advice," he said with a hint of pride in his voice.

I mustered up every ounce of self-control I possessed as I took in his reaction. "Yeah, Dad, I figured I should get something a little more…_roomy_." I kept a straight face, but I was laughing hysterically on the inside.

_Ignorance is bliss._

Charlie, feeling satisfied after inspecting my new wardrobe, quickly retreated from my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I giggled as I pulled the little pink bag out of my closet and inspected its contents.

_I wonder how he would react to this addition to my new wardrobe?_

I put the bag away and collapsed on my bed with a heavy sigh, dreading spending the rest of the weekend without seeing Edward again. It seemed so strange to me how hard I had fallen. A few weeks ago, I didn't even know Edward Cullen existed; now I felt as if I could not exist without him.

**EPOV**

I was silent during the entire ride home from the mall, feeling nothing because Bella was not with me. I was trying desperately to come up with a plan to see her again before Monday. Unfortunately, all of my ideas involved either breaking and entering or kidnapping. I knew that wouldn't help me obtain her dad's favor.

Still, there simply had to be a way; I knew we couldn't possibly continue this way for long; I had to be with her.

After the guys took off in Jasper's car, I went downstairs and picked up my guitar. Just as I was getting into my strumming, my phone started ringing.

"Hey Edward, It's me," Alice squeaked through the phone. I silently prayed she was calling with _good_ news.

"Uh, hey Alice; what's up?" I asked casually, hands shaking as I dug through my pockets for a cigarette.

"I have an _idea_ for you…"

"What kind of crazy idea have you come up with now?" I asked, feeling a little apprehensive. Alice's ideas were usually something unconventional, like the time she decided that we should all become vegetarians. We still laughed about the ridiculousness of that one every now and then.

"You're going to thank me for this one, Edward," she said with confidence. "I think I've figured out a way for you to win over Bella's dad…"

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**Sorry for the delay in posting. Life sort of got in my way last week. I want to hear what you guys think of the overalls!**

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	12. Altar Boy

**I do not own Twilight any more than I did before...**

**Okay, so here's the longest chapter I've ever attempted. Thank you so much for all of your patience. Enjoy!****BPOV**

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When I was a little girl, Sunday was my favorite day of the week. My parents and I would attend Clallam Bay Presbyterian Church in the morning, and then go home to a huge dinner that Mom would prepare for us. After that, we would play board games and watch movies all afternoon. Those days were long gone now. Charlie and I still attended church, but he had turned to Catholicism since Renee had left. It was more uncomfortable and tedious than enjoyable now.

As we approached St. Anne's Church, I took a moment to observe its appearance. The structure was white with beautiful stained-glass windows, the largest church in the town. There was a ridiculously tall cross on top of the structure, which managed to draw everyone's attention as they drove by. It was quite a remarkable sight, but I missed our old church more than ever. It was much smaller than this one, not nearly as glamorous, but it was home to me. I missed its pointed steeple, royal blue plush pews, and antique light fixtures that were the backdrop of my childhood.

I waited patiently for my dad to finish his polite mechanical greetings to his fellow church friends as we made our way inside. We took our seats and I struggled to get comfortable in the lightly padded wooden pew, while waiting for the service to start. I quickly became impatient and began looking around the room for some distraction, dreading the fact that I would be sitting in this spot for the next hour. That's when I noticed an all-too-familiar figure making his way up the aisle and over toward us.

_No freaking way!_

I stared in disbelief, unsure whether I was seeing this correctly or if my eyes had in fact betrayed me. After blinking several times I realized there was no mistaking the sight before me. Edward was walking right towards us, Bible in hand and flashing a dazzling smile that made me begin to think the most scandalous thoughts I had ever experienced in a church before.

Almost immediately after experiencing those thoughts, I quickly felt the panic sink in and I couldn't quite figure it out: what the hell was he doing here?

I had never seen him at my church before, so I knew this was not his place of worship. Worst of all, he was coming over now, leaving me no time to prepare Charlie. I gaped at him, my mouth hanging open in a state of shock. I had no choice but to try to calm down and hope he had a plan. I silently prayed that Charlie would refrain from making a scene; this was Church after all.

"Hello," Edward said as he approached Charlie and respectfully held out his hand. "My name is Edward Cullen. I was wondering if you would permit me to sit with you and your daughter this morning?"

_Who are you and what have you done with Edward? _

"Bella, do you know this guy?" Charlie demanded, his eyes darting back and forth between Edward and me, finally settling on me.

"Yeah, Dad, he's…my friend," I replied, attempting to settle him down before people started looking.

Charlie turned back toward Edward. "Oh yeah? Exactly what _kind_ of friend would that be?"

Edward lowered his hand as he held Charlie's stare and calmly replied, "Well, Mr. Swan, I met Bella at school, through Alice. I've heard her mention how great this church is several times, so I decided to come see for myself."

Charlie looked back at me and slowly stood to his feet. His face was a mixture of emotions, although which ones I could not quite distinguish. Finally, his expression softened and he reached out to shake Edward's extended hand. "Okay, well, I hope it lives up to your expectations." As if that wasn't a major triumph in itself, he permitted Edward to pass by him and take a seat beside me.

"Good morning Bella. You look nice today," Edward said with a voice so sincere I felt like I would melt into a puddle.

I couldn't decide if I was in heaven or in hell. By the constipated look on my dad's face, I felt certain we were about to find ourselves in one of those places any minute now.

"Hey Edward," I said softly, before leaning over and whispering, "What are you doing here?"

"Alice," he whispered back with a wink as he laid his Bible gently in his lap.

He subtly reached for my hand, but I shook my head. I didn't want to push Charlie any more right now; no need to make Edward the sacrificial lamb today. Of course, I was denying much more than just his hand now. His presence here beside me was almost too much for me to bear, and my thoughts were anything but holy.

**EPOV**

_Okay, just relax and breathe. This is going to work._

As I made my way up the steps that led to the doors of Bella's church, I couldn't recall a time when I had ever felt this uncomfortable in my entire life. I had to be out of my mind to put myself out there like this. Still, I would do _anything_ to be with _my girl_.

_Does this make me a stalker?_ I wondered as I made my way through the oversized doors, clutching my mom's worn mahogany-colored Bible against my side. She hadn't exactly invited me to come and join her and her dad today. In fact, she was very adamant about _not_ seeing me today when I had tried to bring it up at the mall. Besides that, she wasn't officially _my girl_ either. We had been spending a lot of time together, doing all of the things that couples do, but her dad was the one last hurdle standing in our way.

I could only hope that Bella would see this as the grand, romantic gesture Alice had insisted this would be. I wasn't entirely sure whether or not she had any idea what she was talking about though. She had informed me that the answer had become clear to her during her daily meditation ritual. As weird as her whole "Zen" thing was to me, I was willing to try just about anything to get in good with Charlie.

"Good morning, sir," a friendly looking man greeted me as I entered the sanctuary.

"Morning," I replied absently, scanning the room in search of Bella. It only took me a minute to spot her luscious, brown hair swaying against the back of a pew as she fidgeted in her seat.

I paused to take a deep breath, before making my way up the aisle. It was then that Bella turned around, coming face to face with me, her eyes wide with shock. I gave her a sure smile and came to a stop in front of a man-I'm assuming was her dad-who was standing beside the pew.

He didn't _look_ scary. In fact, he looked very friendly as he reached out and shook hands with everyone who passed by.

"Hello," I greeted, extending my hand to him. "I'm Edward Cullen. I was wondering if you would permit me to sit with you and your daughter this morning?"

The friendliness melted off his face and he quickly turned to Bella, leaving me standing there feeling like an idiot with my hand held out to him.

"Bella, do you know this guy?" Charlie demanded, his eyes darting back and forth between Bella and I, finally settling on her.

"Yeah, Dad, he's…my friend," she replied, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Oh yeah? Exactly what _kind_ of friend would that be?" Charlie asked as he turned and eyed me suspiciously.

_Think, Edward! _What could I say to make this better? "Well, Mr. Swan, I know Bella through Alice. I've heard her mention how great this church is several times, so I decided to come see for myself."

I was ready to turn around and run, when Charlie stood extended his hand out to me. "Okay, well, I hope it lives up to your expectations," he said with a friendly tone, as he moved aside to let me pass. Relief washed over me as I took a seat beside Bella. She still appeared to be in a state of shock, but at least she didn't look angry.

"Good morning Bella. You look nice today," I said sincerely, trying to not to look her up and down like a pervert; it was a difficult task to achieve. Catholic school uniforms be damned, Bella in a dress was fucking hot as well! It was a deep blue color and it clung to her in a way that showed off all of her curves to perfection. Thank God, she wasn't wearing heels or I would no longer be able to keep my body from giving myself away.

"Hey Edward," she hesitated, before leaning over and whispering in my ear, "What are you doing here?"

"Alice," I replied with a wink. I instinctively reached for her hand, but she quickly shook her head to let me know it was not a good idea. I should have known as much, but the rest of the world ceased to exist when I was with her.

That was the extent of our conversation, because the choir soon emerged from the back and began singing, signaling the start of the service.

**BPOV**

An hour later, I breathed a huge breath of relief as the service ended. I wasn't exactly sure what I thought was going to happen, but everything went along just fine. We sat in the uncomfortable seats like good little girls and boys, maintaining an impression of innocence in every way except with our minds.

"So, Edward, what did you think of today's service?" Charlie questioned as we made our way out of the church. I could only hope he had been paying attention, because I certainly had not.

I didn't know how anyone could be expected to focus on a sermon with _that_ sitting beside you. I'd spent the entire time praying that God wouldn't strike me down for the explicit images my mind had conjured up.

I looked up at Edward nervously, and he gave me a knowing smile as he opened his mouth to answer. "Well, Mr. Swan, the story of Samson and Delilah has always been one of my favorites."

_Oh, so that's what the service had been about._

I was beaming with pride at Edward's answer; Charlie looked deep in thought. Finally, he spoke. "Yes, there is a good lesson to be learned from Samson's fall."

_Yeah, don't cut off all your hair!_

While we made our way to the parking lot behind the church, I decided to make myself useful and give Edward a little help. "Dad, can Edward come over for dinner?" I asked, holding my breath while I awaited an answer.

"Bella, I'm sure Edward's parents are probably missing him by now," Charlie stated, trying to dismiss him. However, Edward was determined not to go away so easily.

"It's okay, sir," Edward responded, turning on the charm. "My parents are out visiting a friend's church today, which is why I decided to come here instead."

"I'm sure," Charlie mumbled under his breath.

"So, Dad, can he come over then?" I asked impatiently as we stood in front of my dad's truck. I did not intend to give up; we had come too far to give up this soon.

Charlie paused, rubbed his forehead, and let out a defeated sigh. "I suppose everyone deserves a good meal after a morning of worshipping our Lord."

"Thank you very much, sir," Edward grinned wildly. "I'd love to."

Charlie ignored Edward's thanks and proceeded to open the passenger door for me. I was marveling in our victory, feeling bold enough to push him a bit further. "Oh, um…would it be alright if I rode with Edward so I can show him the way to our home."

Charlie frowned, closing the passenger door with slight force. "I suppose, but come straight to the house."

"Yes sir!" I chirped as I turned and followed Edward quickly before my dad could change his mind. I managed to suppress my excitement until we put some distance between Charlie and ourselves.

"Edward Cullen! What the hell was all of that?" I demanded once we reached the Volvo.

"Well, I'd rather hoped you'd be pleased by my behavior," he teased as he opened the door for me.

"I'm…I'm just surprised to say the least. Did you plan all of this?"

"Well, it was more Alice who did the planning. I was just her faithful pawn. She said if I wanted to ever have a chance in hell of dating you properly I would have to work my ass off to win Charlie over."

"You got that right, but church?" I asked incredulously as I we made our way into his car. "That's was…wait…you want to _date_ me?" I had been so focused on his gesture I had almost missed the deeper implications of today's events.

Edward turned to me and smiled. My brain felt overrun with a million thoughts, but my body reacted completely on its own accord. I reached out my hands and latched onto his shirt, pulling his body to mine as I smashed my lips into his. I moved my hands to grip his hair as I ravaged him mercilessly with my mouth, releasing all of the emotion that I had been trying to suppress since the night of the football game. Edward's behavior had varied daily from hot to cold, leaving me always unsure of his intentions. However, there was no misunderstanding where we stood now. He was here-facing Charlie head on and staking his claim on me, and I was ready to be his.

Edward cupped his hands around my face, sending shivers throughout my body as our tongues battled for dominance. My bliss was short lived, though, when the hot suddenly ran cold again. I whimpered, as he broke free from our kiss, gently pushing my face away from his.

"Damn, you're going to be the death of me!" Edward teased as he traced his thumb over my lips. "You seem to have forgotten where we are right now."

"I'm sorry," I said as I ran my hands through his hair, attempting to tame the mess I had caused by my lack of self-control. "I just _had _to kiss you."

Edward grinned as we straightened ourselves in our seats. "Bella, you look absolutely incredible in that dress right now. However, I went through a lot of trouble to get on Charlie's good side today, and it would be quite a waste if he killed me now, don't you think?

"I suppose so," I pouted as he started the car. I had forgotten all about Charlie as soon as he was out of my sight. "Edward, are you sure you can handle this?"

Edward put the car in reverse and paused to look at me once more. "Handle your dad? Compared to mine this will be a walk in the park," he said with confidence.

**EPOV**

As I drove towards the Swan house, I concluded that this girl really was just as dangerous as I was. I had gone to her church expecting to see the angelic Bella, but had met the devil in a blue dress instead. I really needed a cigarette, but we were almost at Bella's house so that was out of the question.

"I just hope you can win him over," Bella stated with a hint of unease.

"Of course I can," I said confidently. "Alice won him over, how hard could it be?"

She giggled. "Yes, but Alice is also really cute."

"Oh, so you don't think _I'm_ cute?" I teased, turning onto her street.

Bella blushed. "No, I think you're _very_ cute; all the more reason for Charlie to dislike you."

_Neither did I._ "Well, then, do you have any suggestions?"

"Umm…try not to be _too_ polite; he might think your being a smartass," she said with a serious voice. "Don't mention anything about your dad's 'issues' either. Oh, and don't mention _anything_ about music."

_No music._ Hmm, that put a damper on things. Still, I knew it was a sensitive subject for Charlie, so I was willing to comply for Bella. "Anything else?"

"No, Other than that, you should do just fine," she said as we pulled into her driveway.

_We'll soon find out._

I parked the car in her driveway, and turned to face her as I shut off the engine. "Bella, I want to be with you-I need to be with you. For that reason, I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen."

She stared at me thoughtfully for a moment before exiting the car. I followed Bella into the house and took a seat on the couch across from Charlie, who was pretending to be engrossed in a magazine. Bella remained standing and looked at me apologetically.

"It's going to be a few minutes while I make the potatoes, so you two enjoy talking about the weather."

Many minutes of uncomfortable silence followed, with Charlie sitting perfectly still across from me in his recliner. I ran my fingers through my hair repeatedly, searching for some way to ease the tension. Finally, he put down the magazine to acknowledge me.

"Tell me, Edward, how well do you know my daughter?"

"Well, sir," I began, hoping my answer would suffice. "We met at school a few weeks ago through some mutual friends."

"Go on," he urged, his face hard as stone. He was determined to make me squirm, but I was determined not to let give in.

"That's about it, really," I replied, keeping my answers brief.

"What I want to know is what your intentions are with her."

_Way to get right to the point. _Still, I was already prepared to answer this one.

"Well sir, Bella is an extraordinary young lady and I was hoping that you might consider allowing me to date her."

Charlie let out a low grunt and stroked his mustache as he stared at me intensely. I was starting to think this whole thing was a bad idea when Bella stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Okay guys, dinner is served!" She called from the doorway. The sight of her smiling face was enough to snap my thoughts back into place.

We made our way to the kitchen table, Charlie sitting at the head of the table with Bella and me each taking a side. I was amazed at the spread of food in front of me; there was pot roast, mashed potatoes, rolls, and some kind of cake.

"Wow, Bella, this looks wonderful!" I complimented, inhaling the smells as my mouth watered in anticipation. Bella looked at me, taking in my reaction, and winked.

"Thank you," she blushed. "I'm not as good of a cook as my mom, but I do okay."

I noticed her smile fade immediately upon her mention of her mother. It occurred to me that I had no clue what the story was there. I thought it best not to ask at that moment, due to her expression, and made a mental note to ask about it later.

"So, Bella, Edward has just informed me that he would like to date you," Charlie said bluntly. Although this would take some getting used to, it was actually a nice change from my dad's personality.

I looked over at Bella who began choking on her bread, and watched her cheeks turn to a deep crimson as she quickly grabbed her glass and gulped down its contents. Apparently, she had not yet become accustomed to her dad's bluntness. Once I saw that she was okay, I let my eyes linger on her flushed cheeks. I loved to see her blush.

"That's assuming, of course, that you would like to date him," Charlie added, causing Bella to react by smiling and nodding profusely as she finished off her drink.

I glanced back at Charlie and noticed that he did not appear to be pleased at Bella's reaction to me. I decided he was definitely going to kill me. Maybe not today-perhaps not tomorrow-but someday, of this much I was sure. I knew it was nothing personal; he would likely kill any prick that touched Bella. I was just the lucky asshole who came along and took the bait.

**BPOV**

We finished the remainder of the meal in silence with no sounds except for our chewing and the occasional scrape of a fork against the surface of a plate. We were patiently waiting for Charlie to make up his mind about Edward and ultimately my future, so no other topics seemed important enough to bring up at that point.

I stood up from the table and began clearing the dishes. Edward stood up and was instantly by my side.

"Here, let me help you," he said politely as he took the dishes from my hands and made his way over to the sink. My dad excused himself from the table and made his way back into the living room. I gathered up the rest of the dishes and joined Edward at the sink. I gasped as I felt the tingling sensation as our hips brushed against one another. Edward must have felt it too; he immediately away turned from the plate he was rinsing in the sink, and I felt his hot breath against my ear.

"How do you think it's going with your dad?"

I wanted to kiss him more than anything at that moment, but I knew it would be unwise with Charlie only a few feet away from us. If I wanted time alone with Edward, I was going to have to follow his plan.

"You're doing great," I replied calmly as I pulled open the door to the dishwasher. "Let's get back in there and you can dazzle him some more."

"After you," Edward said as he followed me into the living room.

We sat down on the couch and prepared for the next phase of the plan to unfold. Charlie had to television on, watching a football game. Football was not one of my areas of expertise, but I knew it was something my dad really enjoyed.

"So, Edward, do you watch a lot of football?" Charlie asked, turning away from the game to further interrogate him.

"I'm actually a big Mariners fan, but I don't get to watch it as much as I would like," Edward replied with a shrug.

"Oh? Why is that?" Charlie asked, looking over at me and raising an eyebrow.

"Well, sir, I'm taking some difficult classes at school this year and I have to focus a lot of attention on my homework so that I can graduate early."

It did not escape my notice how quickly Charlie's demeanor changed when he heard this. He seemed overjoyed at the prospect of me dating such an intellectual. I wasn't sure, but he was probably thinking this would mean Edward would have less time for me as well.

"That sounds good, Edward," Charlie replied cheerfully. "Bella, can you cut me a slice of that cake?"

"Sure, Dad," I replied as I rose from the couch and made my way to the kitchen, leaving Edward alone with my dad.

**EPOV**

"Edward, you seem like you've got a good head on your shoulders," Charlie began as soon as Bella was out of earshot. "I'm afraid that my daughter may not be the right kind of girl for you."

"I'm not sure what you mean," I replied, feeling a bit confused by his last statement.

Charlie sighed. "It's just that Bella is very headstrong. She's going through some sort of rebellious stage right now."

"I promise I won't get her into any trouble." I quickly assured him, mentally crossing my fingers.

"Edward, let me finish," Charlie said warmly. "What I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't want her to lead you astray. I love her very much, but sometimes I fear her rebellious spirit."

At this point, I was finding it extremely hard to hide the amusement from my face. I knew I was doing okay with him, but I had no idea I had made _such_ a good impression already. Instead of being worried about what I might do to his daughter, he was worried about what she might do to me! I couldn't wait to tell Emmett and Jasper about this turn of events.

Now for the finishing touches. "Mr. Swan, have you considered that I might be the kind of positive influence she needs right now?" I asked with most angelic voice I could muster.

Before he could reply, Bella returned from the kitchen. "Are you boys having fun in here?" She asked as she handed her dad his dessert.

"Oh, just talking about the game," Charlie said before taking a bite of his cake.

"Did you want a piece, Edward?" Bella asked as she joined me on the couch. "I cut some extra just in case."

Oh, I wanted a 'piece' alright. In fact, I was beginning to think I should quit while I was ahead, before Charlie saw through my façade.

"Actually, Bella, could I possibly take it home with me?" I asked sweetly. "I need to be going soon."

"Sure," Bella said, eyeing me suspiciously as she rose from the couch.

"Leaving so soon, Edward?" Charlie asked as he held out his empty plate to Bella.

"Yes sir, my parents will be home soon and probably wonder where I am," I replied, as I stood to follow Bella into the kitchen.

"Yes, it's never good to leave your parents worrying," he said, nodding his head in approval. "Perhaps you should arrange for them to meet Bella sometime soon, especially if you two are going to be dating."

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to face him. "Thank you, sir. I think that can be arranged."

**BPOV**

_Holy crap!_ Did I just hear what I think I heard? If so, Dad had just given him his blessing to date me.

I took one look at Edward's face as he joined me in the kitchen, and knew that my ears hadn't deceived me. He picked me up and swung me around in a circle. "Did you hear the news? Charlie gave me the green light!"

"Oh don't worry, I heard your little _performance,_ Altar Boy!" I giggled as he held me close.

"I think I'm going to quit while I'm ahead," he said as he set me gently back on my feet.

I formed my lips into a put. "Do you really have to go?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid I'll blow my cover if I stay any longer," he said with a wink.

"Okay then," I replied as I turned to walk him out. He made his was out of the kitchen and over to the front of Charlie's recliner, extending his hand to my dad.

"Mr. Swan, I want to thank you for your hospitality," he said cordially. "It was very nice to meet you."

"Yes, well I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon," Charlie said as he returned the handshake.

"Okay, I'll walk you out," I urged as I led Edward toward the door. He followed happily, neither of us saying a word until we had made it safely to his car. I forgot all about being subtle, and threw myself into his arms.

"I still can't believe you pulled this off!" I teased as Edward chuckled at me. He managed to pry me off of him, and lifted my right hand to his lips for a chaste kiss.

"All part of the plan," he said smugly as he opened the door to his car and climbed inside.

I wanted him to kiss me for real, but we had no way of knowing if Charlie was watching us or not. Somehow, despite my constantly attacking Edward throughout the day, he had managed to win over my dad. Well, as much as it was possible for one person to win over that man. "Yeah, I'll have to give Alice a big hug in the morning."

"So, I guess I'll see you around 7:30 tomorrow?" Edward asked as he started the Volvo.

"No, you know my bus won't be there _that_ early," I said, confused at how he could forget our morning routine.

"Oh no, _my girl_ shouldn't have to ride the bus," He clarified, winking at me through the car window. "What I meant is that I'll be here to pick you up at 7:30."

"Oh, okay then. See you tomorrow!" I waved, missing him already as he backed out of the driveway. I walked back to the house slowly, trying to wipe the big goofy grin off my face.

He came to church for me, hung out with my dad for me, and now he was picking me up for school in the morning as well. Not to mention the fact that he had referred to me as 'his girl.'

I walked into the house and went straight to where my dad was sitting. I leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Dad."

He looked at me with a worried smile. "Just don't make me regret it."

* * *

**So, do you think Charlie's going to regret it? How did you like Edward's performance at church?**

**I want to take a moment and pimp out a totally awesome fic called A Matter of Time, by my friend, Dusckwatcher. It's a post-BD fic, which I normally shy away from. This one, however, is much different from the others I've read. This story actually FEELS like the next addition to the Twilight series itself. It's packed with action and some steamy moments as well. I urge you all to go check it out!**

.net/s/5046393/1/A_Matter_of_Time


	13. First Date

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all of your help!**

**I want to dedicate this chapter to my loyal reviewers. You guys keep me motivated. Thank you so much for your dedication to this story!**

* * *

**EPOV**

Tonight was the big night, my first "official" date with Bella. I wasn't really what I would call nervous; just anxious to get the evening started. I had been with Bella most of the day already, but I could barely wait to get her out of town and all to myself. After much debate and advice from all of our friends, I decided to take Bella to Stellar, a restaurant that offered amazing food as well as live music.

I had a tough time deciding what to wear, so tough that I felt a little bit ridiculous. I finally decided on a gray button down shirt, black slacks, and a black sports coat to match. I opted not to wear a tie, as I didn't want to look _too_ formal.

Just as I made my way to the mirror, attempting to straighten out my hair, Esme stepped into my room.

"Hey, Mom, what's up?" I asked, as I frowned at my hair's lack of cooperation.

She walked over to me, and smiled approvingly as she took in my appearance. "Don't you look nice!" She beamed. "She must be a very special girl."

I smiled. "Yeah, she is. Bella is very special."

"Well, I've never seen you make such an effort over anyone before. I can't wait to meet her."

Although Bella frequented my house, I had yet to give much thought to the idea of introducing her to my parents. I was sure it would be inevitable, but I changed the subject nonetheless, not wanting to think about it just yet. "So, Mom, what are your plans for tonight?"

"Oh, your dad and I are going to catch a movie," she replied in a lowered tone. I looked over at her quizzically, raising one eyebrow at the mention of a night out with Carlisle. Obviously sensing my disbelief, she quickly added, "I know, I know, but he's been really trying real hard all week."

I wanted to remind her how many times he had "tried" in the past, but I didn't want to cause her to lose hope; that was my dad's area. Instead, I did my best to be supportive, telling her how nice she looked and wishing her luck as she set out to join my dad at his car.

After a few more attempts at taming my out-of-control mane, I finally gave up and made my way out the door and into my car as my parents headed up the street.

I cranked up the stereo as I drove toward Bella's house, hoping for a distraction so I wouldn't feel the need to light up a cigarette. I knew I was about to see Charlie again, and I wanted to make another good impression.

I pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine, glancing at myself in the rear-view mirror to make sure I looked presentable. Slowly, I got out of the car and up the steps of her porch. I rang the doorbell and heard a slight shuffling noise from inside the house, before the door opened and I became face-to-face once more with Bella's dad.

"Good evening, Mr. Swan. I'm here to pick up Bella." I said nervously as I stood before Charlie. He eyed me for a brief moment, before producing a warm smile as he motioned me inside.

"Nice to see you again, Edward. Bella should be just about ready to go. Come on in and have a seat while I go get her."

"Thank you, sir," I said politely as I went inside and took a seat on the couch. Charlie walked up the staircase and knocked on Bella's door, letting her know that I had arrived, before returning to his usual seat in the recliner.

"So, what do you have planned for my daughter this evening?"

"I'm taking her to dinner at…" My voice trailed off at the sight of Bella entering the room. I thought she was beautiful before, but tonight she was a vision, leaving me at a loss for words. She was wearing a sleek black dress with red satin stripes trailing down the bodice. Her hair was pinned on top of her head, with some loose curls cascading around her face. She had topped it off with a pair of back, strappy heals, that threatened to drive me over the edge.

"Okay, I'm ready," she announced as she put on her coat and reached for her bag that was sitting on the coffee table.

I stood and swallowed nervously as my brain struggled to find the will to speak. "Hey, Bella, you look…" I glanced over at Charlie, trying to choose my words carefully, before turning my gaze to back to her. "Beautiful."

Thank you, Edward," she blushed as she hooked her arm through mine. "We'd better get a move on, though. Dad says I have to be home by 11:00."

I looked back at Charlie who was looking smug as ever. "Don't worry, sir, I'll have her home by curfew," I said as we headed towards the door.

Bella rolled her eyes and practically pushed me outside, apparently more eager than I realized. "Bye, Dad," she called over her shoulder, before closing the door and pulling me to the car.

"Feeling a little impatient?" I teased as we settled ourselves in the Volvo.

"Yes, but mostly I'm just trying to get us out of here before Charlie changes his mind."

She had obviously underestimated how much that man liked me. That or she was in denial that he could actually like someone. "Well then, just let me get us to our destination before you decide to attack me in the car again, okay?"

"Fine by me," she said as I backed out of the driveway. "Where are you taking me, anyway?"

"Oh, just a little place called Stellar," I told her with confidence. I had wanted to share this place with her ever since our first discussion in detention.

"And what are we going to do there?" She questioned as she flipped impatiently through the radio channels for some tunes.

I reached into the console and handed her the new Kings of Leon CD, since she wasn't having any luck with the radio. "I thought we could enjoy some live music while we grab a bite to eat."

"Sounds good!" she chirped as she eagerly inserted the disk into the stereo.

I spent the remainder of the drive observing Bella's reaction to each song. I had never met a girl who embraced music the way that she did. She took it all in like a kid in a candy store. It was yet another thing that made her so amazing to me.

**BPOV**

We parked in a garage opposite from the restaurant and quickly crossed the street. A friendly hostess met us at the door and quickly led us to a booth to the right of the stage. As soon as we were seated, Edward reached across the table and took both my hands in his.

"You really do look incredible tonight," he said, smiling as he gazed intently at me.

"Thank you," I said as I felt my cheeks flush at his compliment. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"You look even more beautiful when you do that," he said in low, sultry tone that made me twitch with sensations I did not fully understand.

"Do what?" I asked innocently.

"Blush."

His voice made me twitch again, a burning feeling creeping across my body. "Well, you're in luck. I tend to do that a lot."

"Even better," he said, looking up as a woman approached our table.

"Hello," a tall dark-haired waitress said as she held her pen to a black leather book. "What can I get you to drink?"

Edward looked over at me and smiled. "Two Cokes, please," Edward requested as he opened up his menu.

The waitress soon returned with our drinks, ready to take our order. My nerves were on edge, so I didn't feel like eating very much. We ended up ordering the steak fajitas for two.

"You are somewhat of a mystery to me, you know," Edward began as we waited on our food.

"How so?" I asked, unfolding my napkin and placing it in my lap.

"Well, to begin with, how did you end up at Forks High?" He stared at me with intense curiosity, while unfolding his napkin as well. I could tell he genuinely wanted to hear my story, but I felt reluctant to tell him. I was proud of my accomplishment, but also ashamed of myself for being proud about it. I needed to live a life that was my own, but I hated disappointing my dad to get there.

As I looked into Edward's eyes, I decided it didn't matter. I could never fully regret it, no matter how hard I tried, because it had brought me to him. "I really had no other option…" I sighed. "I had to leave Catholic School."

"Why is that?" He asked, staring at me with a thoughtful expression.

Apparently, there was no distracting Edward away from the conversation. "Well, it's kind of a long story."

He smirked, taking a sip of his drink. "It usually is."

"Okay, to really understand this you need to know the events that led me there in the first place."

"Go on," he gently urged.

"My mom was a special education teacher by day, a singer by night, and a mom in-between. She loved my dad, and me, but she loved her music the most. Dad was different then too; not so…weird."

"What changed?" he asked as the waitress returned with our food.

Once she was finished arranging our food on the table, Edward and I began assembling our fajitas as I continued with my story. "My mom met some guy on the internet, and ran off with him to pursue her singing career. That's when everything changed. Dad became very…fanatical. He got rid of all of the music and radios in the house. He then made me go to an all-girls Catholic school."

"Oh yeah, the spankings…" he teased with a big goofy grin on his face.

"Edward!" I scolded lightly, trying to get him to focus on me instead of the uniform. He simply winked and took a big bite of his fajita.

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, I put up with it for a while, before I finally had enough. I started hiding CDs in my bed, listening when he wasn't home. I didn't fit in with any of the girls at my school, so I mostly kept to myself. A couple of the girls started a rumor that I was a witch, so I just ran with it. I began staring at the students to the point where it became unnerving and rambling incoherently under my breath whenever anyone said anything to me. The teachers became frightened of me, and I was asked to leave permanently!"

He stopped eating and stared at me in shock, leaving me worried I may have said too much. Finally, the big goofy grin returned to his face. "Damn, that's…sexy as hell! I'm guessing that didn't help things with Charlie, though."

"Actually…" I said with a hint of pride, taking a sip of my soda before continuing. "There was nothing left for my dad to do at that point, so now he's just kind of _giving in_."

"So, it actually helped?"

"Well…it depends on how you look at it. On the one hand, he's eased up on trying to control me; on the other hand, I'm just one more woman in his life he feels like he's going to lose."

"So, he's simply _giving up_…just like _my _dad." Edward said solemnly.

We continued our meal in silence, not once allowing our eyes to wander from one another. As soon as we finished eating, a man took the stage and began softly strumming a guitar. The music filled the air in a slow melodic rhythm. Edward stood up and lifted my hand.

"Dance with me," he requested as he slowly rose from his seat. "I need to feel you close to me."

I nodded and let him lead me to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I placed mine around his neck. We clung to each other and swayed gently to the song.

**There is not a river wide  
Not a mountain high  
And neither sin nor evil  
Could change how I feel inside  
Could change how I feel inside**

"Bella," he whispered against my ear. "I think I'm falling in love with you."

Our eyes met and I tightened my grip on his neck as I felt my knees go weak. I could no longer hear the music; everything around me faded away, leaving nothing but Edward. I couldn't believe this was actually happening! It was everything I never knew I wanted, and it was perfect. He was perfect.

**Not all the strength of the ocean  
Not all the heat from the sun, from the sun  
Though others have tried, I just can****'t deny  
For me you are the one  
For me you are the one**

Not only was he perfect, but he was also perfect for me. "Edward, I feel the same way," I declared, as I remained lost in his stained-glass eyes. He grinned and pressed his lips against mine, moving his hands up and down my hips as we continued to sway with the music.

**But**** true love is priceless  
For true love we pay a price  
But there's nothing can keep me from loving you  
Not fire, no, not ice  
Not fire, no, not ice**

I awakened from my trance when I felt Edward's tongue trace lightly over my bottom lip and then the top, requesting entrance. I happily complied, and felt a familiar spark when our tongues touched. Several minutes passed by before I realized we had become so lost in our embrace that we had stopped dancing altogether.

I would have been content to stay in that moment for a lifetime, but the song ended and we reluctantly broke away and returned to our seats. However, instead of sitting opposite of Edward, I slid into his side of the booth and laid my head on his shoulder. He turned, leaning his back against the end of the booth, and pulled me to his chest.

We stayed that way for the next hour, him holding me close while the musician played softly. We were too lost in each other to keep up with the time, only becoming more aware when the waitress came with the bill. I knew we would have to leave soon, if I was going to make it home in time, but I hated for the night to end.

Edward seemed to feel the same way. He reluctantly paid for our food, making sure to leave a generous tip, and we made our way back to the car. Edward opened my door for me, before making his way around to the other side, the smile never leaving his face. There was definite electricity bouncing between us inside the car, much like the first time our hands touched, only magnified tenfold. It was always present, only hard to differentiate from all of the awkwardness and nerves. He pressed his lips against me once again and I knew that the awkward part was over now, replaced by the certainty that we could just _be_ with one another, no barriers between us. We had a deeper understanding of one other now, our souls somehow connected.

I allowed myself to get lost in his kiss again, my heartbeat becoming erratic when he moved his lips away from mine and down my throat, trailing his hands over the bodice of my dress as I glided my fingers across his thigh.

Finally, I was the responsible one who broke away first, fearing the wrath of Charlie slightly more than I feared pulling away from Edward. I knew this was only the beginning, and we would have plenty of chances to enjoy one another.

Edward took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair, before starting the car. He paused, and looked at me and ran his palm down my cheek. "I hate to take you home," He mumbled as he looked at me with pleading eyes. "I have half a mind to climb through your window tonight."

As much as I wanted to tell him to go for it, I knew that Charlie had made that impossible. "Sorry, but as much as I would love to have you with me, my dad nailed my window shut a couple of years ago."

"Well, never mind then," he shrugged as he proceeded to put the car into gear and drive us back to Forks.

**EPOV**

I have no idea what we talked about on the drive home, because my mind was consumed by three thoughts only: _I love her…she loves me…we're in love!_

The next thing I knew, it was 10:45 and we were pulling into her driveway. _Shit. _This was the part where I would have to say goodbye to the woman I loved, only to return to my empty basement where I would be sleeping alone. Before I had a chance to brood over our situation any further, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a slightly agitated Bella.

"Edward, have you heard anything I've said?" She demanded, grabbing my chin and turning my face towards hers.

I had no idea what she had said, so I decided to take a guess. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I had a good time too."

She laughed and shook her head at me. "While that's good to hear, I was asking you if you wanted to walk me to the door. What were you thinking about anyways?"

"Oh, just that I love you," I said, noting her face instantly light up, before stepping out of the car. I quickly made my way over to her side to open the door her for. I smiled, knowing I had more than made up for zoning out on her.

We slowly ascended the steps that led to her front door. She leaned over and gave me a soft chaste kiss. "I love you too," she whispered before opening her door and stepping inside.

"Goodnight, Bella," I muttered. She looked at me apologetically and slowly closed the door.

_I love her…she loves me…we're in love!_

**Reviews are exactly my brand of heroin!**

**We've got the wonderful adventures in overalls coming up next! **

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	14. Anticipation

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all your help with the story!**

**I also got to give a shout out to MyOwnCrystalHeart-Thanks for reminding me about the boobies!**

**TL has been nominated for the Indie Twi-Fic awards. Please vote if you love this story!**

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**BPOV**

I laid stretched across Edward's bed, desire swelling up inside me as I watched him rip through the heavy guitar riff. There was nothing hotter than my Edward leaning over his black Stratocaster, his bronze hair falling into his face, rocking back and forth, as the thrashing metallic sounds filled the room.

Edward glanced up at me only for a second, but that was all the time I needed. I rose up slightly from the bed, enough to give him a slight peek at my cleavage, and licked my lips seductively. His eyes grew dark as his expression turned to one of hunger. He abandoned the song he was playing, jumped up from his stool and immediately silenced the guitar with a knowing grin. Then, he flew across the room at almost inhuman speed, jumping onto the bed and rolling me over, then pinning me down beneath him. I attacked his lips with ferocity, while he made quick work of removing my jeans first and then his own.

"Mine!" he growled as he positioned himself in between my legs.

"Yours," I moaned, wrapping my legs around his waist as I prepared for his thrust.

However, the thrust never came, only the insistent beeping of my insufferable alarm clock.

"Crap; not again!" I groaned as I rolled over to beat the annoying device. I had been having these dreams for two weeks now, and my raging hormones were about to drive me insane.

Things were going great with me and Edward. Ever since our victory with my dad, we had become much more comfortable with our relationship. He had taken me on three _official _dates so far, aside from the time we spent together after school each day. We were constantly exchanging declarations of love, accompanied by some intense make-out sessions. However, he always managed to put the brakes on things before we went too far.

A few months ago I would have never even considered kissing a boy. I was raised to believe that those kinds of things were sinful; not to mention the fact that I was way too shy to get that far with a guy. Edward had changed all of that for me and I found myself growing impatient with each passing day. I was tired of being the innocent girl that everyone was afraid to corrupt. I wanted Edward to kiss me like he did that night at the park. I wanted him to touch me as if I wouldn't break. I simply wanted _more_.

I couldn't quite understand why he was holding back. I had respected his decision to slow things down after that first night at the football game, but my body was crying out for him. Although I knew very little about the art of seduction, I was determined to put my insecurities aside and figure out a way to persuade him to make a move.

I had no idea how to go about it, but I knew someone who did.

_What would Rosalie do?_

I climbed out of bed and opened up my closet, in search of something to wear to school. It was at that moment I remembered my secret weapon: the overalls. I grabbed them out of my closet, along with a form-fitting black blouse and laid them on the bed. Then, I went back to the closet and dug out the little pink bag that was hiding in the back.

_This better be worth it_, I thought as I shimmied on the tiny blue scrap of lace. I had never worn underwear like this before, but could already tell it wasn't going to be comfortable.

Thirty minutes later I had dressed, eaten breakfast, secured the house, and was ready to go when Edward pulled into my driveway. I took a deep breath and mentally prepared myself for the uncharted waters I was about to dive into, as I ran down the steps to meet him. Before he could attempt to get out and open the door for me, I was already inside the car.

"Good morning!" I greeted eagerly as I closed the passenger door behind me and leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the lips.

Edward looked at me incredulously and shook his head. "Well, I take it you're ready to go."

"Oh yes, I'm _very_ ready," I flirted. He stared at me intensely, apparently oblivious to the _real _meaning behind my words.

"Well, I'm sorry I kept you waiting," he replied as he backed out of the driveway.

"That's okay. I'm sure you'll make it up to me," I said suggestively as I turned on the radio.

_So far so good!_ I inwardly praised myself for my boldness. I looked over at Edward and decided that it seemed to be working. His body tensed as The All-American rejects song "I wanna" began playing, and he didn't waste any time before lighting up a cigarette.

Before long, we had arrived at the school, and I had calmed down enough to allow Edward to open my door. I tried my best to give him a show as I made my way out of the car, pushing my chest out as far as it would go. Edward gulped, but didn't say a word about my production. Instead, he snaked his arm around my waist and led me into the school.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that he didn't take the bait, however I was determined to try again at lunch. We would have more time then anyway.

I sat in my homeroom class, waiting on the day to begin while daydreaming about Edward on the jungle gym. The teacher, Mr. Stuart, went through the morning roll call and then proceeded to go over the daily announcements. I wasn't really paying attention until I noticed everyone getting up from their seats. I knew then that I had missed something important, and I quickly grabbed the arm of the first person who passed by me-a girl named Jessica Stanley-and asked her what was going on.

"Were you not listening just now?" she rolled her eyes at me in annoyance. I knew there was a reason I had never attempted to have a conversation with her before. "We have to go to the auditorium for some kind of assembly. Mr. Stuart said it would last until lunch."

"Oh, thanks," I replied as I turned to follow the crowd. I spotted Alice and Jasper, and began pushing through the crowd towards them. I had almost succeeded, when I felt a strong hand grab my arm and begin pulling me in the opposite direction.

I turned to protest, but came face-to-face with a mischievous-looking Edward. I grinned and instantly relaxed while I let him guide me to the back row of the auditorium, all the way in the left corner. We took our seats and waited for the rest of the students to file in.

"Hey! I didn't think you'd be here," I said as he took my hand and smiled.

"Oh yeah, why not?" he teased, eyeing me intensely.

"I don't know, I suppose because I usually only see you in the halls and at lunch."

"Well, I _would_ normally skip during these things. However, I couldn't stand the thought of you sitting through this all alone."

I smiled at the sentiment. "How thoughtful of you."

"I'm a thoughtful kind of guy. See," he motioned to the group of faculty at the opposite end of the room. "I even found us seats as far away from the teachers as possible."

"Hey, there's Alice and Jasper!" I stood and waved, until I caught their attention. They quickly made their way to where we were sitting.

"What's up, guys?" Jasper asked as he took a seat beside Edward. "You ready for a fun-filled morning?"

Before we could respond, Alice redirected the conversation."Hey! Cute overalls, Bella!" She said with a wink before sliding into the seat beside Jasper.

"Thanks, they're very _roomy_," I replied as I watched the rest of the seats quickly fill with students. Alice giggled and I noticed Edward staring at me while shifting uncomfortably in his seat. _He noticed!_

It wasn't long before the room became dark and Mr. Arnold took the stage. Apparently, they had decided to spend the entire morning warning us about the dangers of teen drinking and unprotected sex through a series of guest speakers and propaganda films.

I sighed and peeked over at Edward. Although it was dark, I could still make out a twinkle as his eyes roamed over my body.

"See something you like?" I flirted, satisfied at the wide-eyed look that formed on Edward's face. He let go of my hand and moved his own to my thigh. I thought this might lead to something more, but he simply stilled his hand where it was, before turning back to pretend to watch the first presentation film.

Suddenly, I felt his slide across my thigh toward the bib of my overalls. I shivered with anticipation as he slipped his hand underneath the fabric, traveling north, until his fingers reached a sliver of skin just below my blouse. "You're driving me crazy," he whispered into my ear as he traced his hand back and forth across the exposed skin before travelling north to skim over my breasts.

I grinned. What he didn't seem to realize was just how much he was driving _me_ crazy. Then again…

I held my breath as I felt his hand slowly move down from my chest to the buttons on the side of my overalls. "Whatever happens just keep your eyes on the stage," he whispered. "And no matter what, you have to act normal."

I nodded; keeping my eyes focused on the stage as he slowly undid the buttons. One…two…three. Edward paused and inhaled a deep breath. Slowly, and I mean _painfully_ slow, his hand worked its way inside the denim and began its descent.

I trembled with anticipation as his hand reached my stomach, his thumb circling my belly button, before travelling on down to the lacy fabric of the thong that Rosalie and Alice had purchased for me.

_God bless them._ I had the best friends in the whole world!

I closed my eyes in anticipation as his sweaty palm skimmed over the lace, not stopping until he had reached my depths. He cupped his hand over my heat pressed against me; I swallowed hard, trying to suppress the groan that was threatening to find its way out of me, as I felt the moisture start to seep through my panties.

I concentrated on the movement of his hand; I would worry about my underwear later. The feeling of his palm rubbing back and forth across my wetness was better than any of the dreams I had been having, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to remain still.

Edward must have sensed my dilemma, because his hand stilled for a moment and then slowly made its way back towards my stomach. I looked over and gave him a disapproving scowl, to which he flashed me a devilish grin. I turned my head and let out a slightly exaggerated huff, not seeing the humor in his torture.

I started thinking of various ways to torture him back, when his hand slowly began another descent, causing my stomach to tense. This time his hand paused at the top of my panties, before sliding underneath the elastic.

My heart rate skyrocketed as he ran one finger over my slick center, and then slowly pushed it inside me. My breathing hitched, and I tried my best to keep it under control, as his finger moved in and out of me. I was in complete disbelief that one little finger could spark so much sensation, and I pondered how much more intense it would be with his…well, _you _know.

As if he could read my mind, he inserted another finger, increasing the pressure that was swelling deep inside of me to new heights. It was becoming more and more difficult to act like nothing was going happening here, but I knew it was imperative not to expose our activity. Of course, the possibility of being caught only heightened my pleasure.

"So tight… so wet," he whispered into my ear, his breath causing a shiver throughout my body.

I felt an unfamiliar tingling building up inside me, and I noticed the room was spinning as I tried to open up my eyes. Once again, in perfect tune with my body, Edward curled his fingers inside me and pressed his thumb against a spot so sensitive; I could no longer stay in control. I closed my eyes and leaned my head forward, letting my hair fall around my face to hide the pants that were emanating from me as I tumbled over the edge. It was embarrassing and amazing all at the same time! I had never felt this kind of intensity before, not even my most recent reoccurring dream had come close to a fraction of the waves of pleasure that was overtaking me. As far as I knew, female orgasms were just some Urban Legend; Alice and Rosalie had said some things about them, but I had assumed they were exaggerating.

It took me a few moments to come back down to earth. I would have been perfectly content to stay right where I was if it weren't for the fact that we were in the middle of an auditorium, occupied by the _entire _school. My cheeks flushed as the realization of it sunk in, but no matter, it was too dark for anyone to notice.

Of course, though, Edward noticed. I sat back and looked over at him; he was beaming with pride at my reaction. Slowly, he withdrew his hand and carefully refastened the buttons on my overalls. I suppose that meant that the fun was over…at least for now. While I was not exactly happy for him to cease his ministrations, I knew that this had been a major step in the right direction. Rosalie would be so proud!

**EPOV**

_I'm going to hell. _

Then again, maybe being stuck in this seat, embarrassingly hard with no release in sight, was my own personal hell. I knew it was wrong; in fact, my mind was screaming at me not to do it. Of course, that small part of me was drowned out by something much louder. Desire.

It had all started the night before. I had this amazing dream of Bella, stretched across my bed, looking sexy as hell in her Catholic school uniform as she watched me wail on my electric guitar. I woke up in a cold sweat, with a need that required immediate attention. I jumped into the shower and took care of business, trying to get it all out of my system before I picked up Bella for school.

I made my way to Bella's house, praying that she wouldn't be wearing anything too attractive today. When I pulled into her driveway, she was already outside, waiting on me. I was relieved to see that she was wearing a nice pair of loose-fitting overalls. I could handle that. Well, I thought I could any way. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

All of our morning classes were cancelled in lieu of an assembly in the auditorium. My first instinct was to ditch and come back later. Then, I thought about Bella, sandwiched between God-knows-who in the dark auditorium for several hours. I wasn't about to put her through that, and I knew she probably wouldn't want to ditch, so I decided to join her.

I managed to pull Bella out of the crowd, and led her to seats as far away from the watchful teacher's eyes as possible. There was no particular motivation for this; it was just habit for me. We settled into our seats and were soon joined by Jasper and Alice. I knew better than to look for Emmett and Rosalie; they would _definitely_ ditch.

Still, everything was fine until Alice opened her big mouth. "Hey! Cute overalls, Bella!"

"Thanks, they're very roomy," Bella had replied with a hint of something I couldn't quite figure out.

My eyes were instantly on Bella, taking in her outfit at the mention of it, when a sliver of exposed skin beneath her blouse caught my attention. I thought I had a handle on things until I thought about how easy it would be to touch the area, once the lights went out. From there, I began to ponder just how roomy those overalls actually were. I felt myself becoming uncomfortably aroused, so I began to fidget in my seat; this was neither the time nor the place for these kind of thoughts.

Despite my efforts, I continued to stare at her after the lights went out. I envisioned various scenarios that would no doubt lead to our expulsion and possibly some jail time. _I could slip my hand right through the side..._

As if in tune with me, Bella looked over at me and whispered, "See something you like?"

_Not helping_, I thought as I tried to wipe the visions of Bella sprawled out on my bed from my brain. My efforts were in vain; my hand seemed to react of its own volition, moving first to her thigh before reaching out to touch the tiny piece of exposed skin beneath her blouse. I felt her shiver beneath my hand, and it was all I could do to maintain control of myself as I moved to up to her enticing breasts.

"You're driving me crazy," I whispered as my fingers caressed her. I was expecting her to laugh, and slap my hand away. Instead, she grinned at me with a look of _triumph_. That's when I realized that she wanted the same thing I did, and my hormones took over.

I made quick work of releasing the three metal buttons against her thigh, warning her not to give us away, before allowing my hand to drift beneath the denim. Slowly, I let my hand venture south, savoring every second, until I felt the lacy fabric of her panties. I desperately wanted to know what color they were, but I knew I wasn't likely to find out in here.

As I pressed down on her heat, I instantly felt her wetness seep through the lace. She was so wet…for me. I knew I needed more; she probably did too. I moved my hand back up and repeated the whole procedure; only this time, I wandered under her panties. As soon as my fingers traced over her slick folds, I knew I was going to have to spend some quality time with the restroom as soon as the assembly ended. That was the last thing I wanted to do at school, but I wouldn't be able to ignore the growing need in my pants for long.

I realized how tight she was, and began to imagine how good it was going to feel to be inside her one day. I decided to insert a second finger and her reaction made me blurt out into her ear just how tight and wet I thought she was.

I wasn't sure if it was the additional finger or my words, but within a matter of seconds I felt her walls clamp down around me. I thought I might just explode in my pants right there as she leaned forward to hide her reaction as she came on my hand.

_I'm so going to hell._

I sat there, through the rest of the assembly, with my thoughts bouncing back and forth between fantasizing about Bella in various positions, and my need to get to the bathroom and take care of myself. Of course, the fantasies only made the need more urgent. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the presentation ended and we were dismissed for our lunch hour. We both needed a bathroom break, so we agreed to meet in the lunchroom.

After I had finished _taking_ _care of business_, I quickly joined Bella at our usual table in the cafeteria. It didn't escape my notice that she had quite a glow about her. I grinned in satisfaction. I knew that glow. It was the same glow Rosalie was sporting, she and Emmett having just returned from their tryst.

"So, Bella, did you enjoy the assembly?" Alice asked with a knowing smile. Was it possible that she knew what had happened? Surely, Bella hadn't told her already. I never could understand how she always seemed to know _everything_.

Rosalie snorted as if she knew something as well. Still, she and Emmett had just gotten back, so there was definitely no way she could have known. I looked over at Bella and she was blushing profusely. It was then that I decided that it didn't really matter; my girl was happy.

The lunch hour passed by in a flash; the conversation mostly lingering on Emmett, who was trying to convince Rosalie to throw a big party, since her parents were going to be leaving her unattended for most of the summer. At the sound of the bell, Bella and I said our goodbyes to the group and then headed to her locker.

I leaned against the wall and waited while she gathered her books, so I could give her a kiss before I had to go to my own locker. She slammed the locker door closed and pressed herself against me, pulling me down by the collar of my shirt, and then kissing me with an urgency that told me I was in trouble. Just as I was about to pull away, she slipped her hand into the pocket of my jeans and shoved something inside.

"I love you," she said before abruptly turning away and practically skipping down the hall towards her next class before I could even respond.

I reached into my pocket and gasped at what I felt. "Please God," I whispered as I felt the familiar lacy fabric against my fingers. I decided that class was no longer the most important thing on my agenda, and quickly made my way back to the men's restroom.

I locked myself into the handicap stall, wanting all the extra room I could find, and pulled the fabric from my pocket. I looked down and groaned.

They were a glorious blue-my new favorite color.

_Forget hell, I was in heaven!_

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**This story gets a lot of readers, but not a lot of reviewers. So, to everyone who does review, thank you so much for your support! To everyone who doesn't, I would love to hear from you!**

**Also, I recently co-wrote an outtake with Duskwatcher for her story "A Matter of Time." It's told from Rosalie's point of view. Check it out!**

.net/s/5160437/1/Rosalie


	15. When the Moment is Right

**I do not own....**

**Special thanks to Project Team Beta for all your mad beta skills!**

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**BPOV**

I could not believe I just did that.I, Bella Swan, innocent Catholic girl, just gave away my panties! I began shaking as my head reeled from the day's events. How did I let them talk me into this?

I looked up at the clock above the teacher's desk and felt a new wave of unease. School would be over in just a few minutes and I would have to face Edward for the first time since lunch. I had been so nervous earlier that I had sprinted down the hall before he had a chance to discover my little gift in his pocket.

As I counted down the remaining minutes of class, I let my mind wander back to the conversation I had with the girls earlier.

"_Oh my god! How was it?" Alice squealed as she came to a stop in the middle of the restroom. _

_As if this wasn't awkward enough…"Alice, please, do you have to tell the whole school?" I pleaded as I went into the stall. I was definitely going to have to ditch this thong. Not only was it insufferably itchy, but now it was wet too. "Besides, how could you possibly know what happened already?"_

"_What?" she asked innocently. "As if those overalls weren't obvious enough to tip me off, the glowing look on your face told me everything .Forgive me if I'm a little excited. Besides, I thought you would be excited too."_

"_No, I mean, I am…it's just all a little new to me," I explained as I quickly secured the door and began unfastening my lucky overalls. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable talking about it yet."_

"_Fine, but you're not fooling anyone you know; your face gives you away," she teased from the other side of the stall. "What are you doing in there anyway?"_

_I slid off the offending garment and began to redress. "If you must know, I'm ditching the little present you guys gave me!"_

"_Oooh, are you going to give them to Eddie?"_

…_And here I thought I was bold! "Um…no, I wasn't really planning on it."_

"_Listen, Bella," Alice began to lecture as I heard someone else enter the room. "Do you want this to be a one-time thing? Or do you want to ensure a repeat performance?"_

"_Okay, somebody tell me what I missed!" Rosalie demanded as she made her way into the bathroom just as I was coming out of the stall. She looked me up and down before her lips curled up into a knowing smile. "Whoa! Look at you! I can tell by your face it was something major!"_

"_Bella got to try out the overalls during the assembly!" Alice blurted out._

"_All right! Way to go, Bella," she nodded in approval. "I wasn't sure if you had it in you!"_

_I rolled my eyes in defeat. It was now two against one. "Geez, guys, can we just change the subject please?"_

"_No way!" Alice exclaimed as she moved to stand beside Rosalie. "Rose, tell her she should give him the panties!"_

_Rosalie placed her finger to her lips as she contemplated the information Alice had given her. "Hmm…are you wearing the blue thong we gave you?"_

_I could feel the usual blush returning to my cheeks as my embarrassment grew. "Yes, I mean, I was…" my voice trailed off as I realized I was only digging my hole deeper._

"_Do you not remember Emmett's reaction at the mall that day? Give him the damn panties, girl!" She commanded as she gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror. "Now, let's get to the lunchroom while we still have time to eat!"_

The bell rang, and I reluctantly got up from my seat; it was time to face the music. I could try to blame my actions on the girls, but it had ultimately been my decision.

To my surprise, Edward was already waiting for me outside of the classroom. I gasped at the sight of him, leaning against the lockers across the hall, looking at me with lust-filled eyes. It's a good thing I was no longer wearing panties, or they would most likely be dampening again.

"Hey," I said with newfound confidence as I approached him. He stared at me intently, his face finally breaking into a wicked grin as he reached out and snaked his arms around my waist. I braced for a kiss as he leaned into me, but instead he moved to my neck.

"Come on," he whispered against my ear. Like always, I complied and followed without question.

*~*

On the drive home from school, Edward began to veer from our usual route and I began to wonder what he had in mind for the afternoon. He hadn't mentioned going anywhere in particular today, but we also hadn't done a lot of talking either.

"Where are we going?" I asked, realizing we weren't heading in the direction of either of our homes. In fact, we seemed to be nearing the edge of town altogether.

"I thought we'd go somewhere different for a change," he said cryptically, the same wicked grin still on his face.

Finally, Edward pulled over on the side of the road, in front of a stretch of woods that appeared to be completely uninhabited. Anticipation began building up inside of me for the second time today; I was all for a make-out session in the Volvo. However, my excitement was short-lived when he opened his door and got out of the car.

_Not exactly what I had in mind._

"Seriously, what are we doing here?" I questioned as he came around and opened the passenger door, motioning for me to join him.

"Come on, there's something I want you to see," Edward grabbed my hand and dragged me into the forest. "It's just a short distance from here."

I felt somewhat uneasy as to what he had in mind. "Umm…are you sure?" I hesitated. "Some people might consider this to be trespassing."

Edward laughed and shook his head in amusement. "So what if we are?"

Despite my insecurities, I felt certain that I could trust Edward with whatever might come. I also couldn't think of a good argument against continuing into the woods, especially considering the possibilities of what we could _do_ in the woods, so I let him lead the way without any further protest.

We trampled deep into the forest, crossing a short, wooden bridge as we made our way uphill towards the sunlight. Finally, we reached a clearing and I felt like I had just stepped out of a fairy tale. It was a beautiful grassy meadow with ancient trees and colorful wildflowers growing amongst the bright green grass.

I followed Edward to the middle of the meadow before he stopped and turned to face me, the look of pure lust evident on his face. "Bella," he whispered as he encompassed my face between his hands. Slowly, he lowered his lips to mine.

I surrendered myself to the moment and pressed my body against his, allowing my instincts to take control. His tongue slipped into my opened mouth and I marveled at the taste; it was sweet, like honey. I soon found myself overwhelmed by the intensity, my knees buckled, pulling Edward and me to the ground. Our lips never parted; neither of us willing to allow the kiss to be interrupted by our new position.

Before long I was drowning in him, it was almost too much sensation for me to handle. Edward might not have realized it, but he had opened up a floodgate inside of me today.

Suddenly, he pulled back, causing me to groan in protest. He began teasing my lips with soft sweet kisses, as he struggled to remove his jacket. My stomach filled with butterflies, the idea of his removing articles of clothing increasing my excitement. Unfortunately, he stopped with the jacket; even worse, he also stopped kissing me.

My lips turned down into a playful pout. Edward grinned mischievously before he moved to spread the jacket over the thick grass. I smiled back at him, comprehension kicking in, and allowed him to roll me gently onto the jacket.

Within a second, he was on top of me, parting my legs with his knees then positioning himself in between them; I couldn't imagine anything more wonderful than the weight of my Edward on top of me. I wrapped my hands behind his head and pulled his face closer into mine, my lips reaching out for his. He responded by grinding his hips back and forth into mine, giving me some much needed friction.

"Oh god, Bella," he moaned into my mouth, finally breaking away for some air. I responded by fisting my hands tightly in his hair, causing him to begin trailing his lips down my neck, his hands finally working their way up to my chest. "I… you're just so... with the overalls, then the panties…" he breathed against my skin between kisses.

I giggled as I watched him lose control. "I love you so much, Edward."

"My god, Bella," he whimpered as he fondled my breasts roughly through my clothes. "Need more…driving me crazy."

"Mmmm…Me too!" I reacted immediately, letting go of his hair in order to concentrate on removing his shirt. He was more than happy to comply with my actions, lifting his arms as I pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it to the side. Edward, in turn, reached out and unclasped the buckles to the bib of my overalls. He then eagerly attacked my blouse, practically ripping it off me, before I could even raise my arms to assist him.

"Don't forget this," I taunted as I reached down and unclasped my front closure bra. He paused briefly, his eyes wide and searching, before leaning down to lick my tender peaks. His tongue made its way to my hardened nipple and he grazed it gently with his teeth, before clamping his mouth down around it. The feeling of him sucking at my aching tip caused my skin to prickle with goose bumps. At the same time, my hands were thoroughly enjoying the feeling bare skin, as I gently massaged his back.

"Unngh!" He panted, increasing the speed in which he grinded himself into me. Although unsure whether or not it was possible, I felt like I might explode at any time, despite the fact that we were both fully dressed from the waist down. Well, _almost_ that is. I was still short one very important undergarment from lunch.

"Fuuuuuccckk…" Edward groaned as his body suddenly went rigid, before completely collapsing on top of me.

I didn't know what to do next; things had been going so good, and now he had completely stopped all of his ministrations. Edward's body was now lying weightless against me, his face buried in my chest as heavy pants emanated out of him.

"What's wrong?" I asked awkwardly, my insecurities kicking in.

He didn't answer at first, just continuing to breathe heavily, clinging to me for dear life. After several minutes, he rolled off me and onto his side.

Finally, he spoke. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he said, his head hanging low as he stared at the ground.

I still didn't quite understand what was going on with him. "Sorry for what?"

Edward stared at the ground, unable to look me in the eye. "I just got so worked up…today has been so…so overwhelming that I lost control," he stuttered, embarrassed, motioning to his jeans. "Please don't be mad."

I looked down to see a large wet spot that had formed just below his belly button. My cheeks grew hot as the realization of what had just happened swept over me. Part of me was mortified for him. The other part of me felt an odd sense of pride. I had done this to him; I had gotten him off without really doing anything at all.

"It's okay, really," I said, trying to reassure him. "It was your turn any way."

"Bella, I've already taken my turn …several times today," he replied sheepishly, burying his face in my hair.

My bush deepened as my mind processed the meaning behind his words. "Oh," was all I could manage to say in response.

I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift back to all of the events that had taken place throughout the day. I thought about the dream I had awoken to, followed by the incident in the auditorium, then back to what had just taken place. I had been so fixated on my own wants and desires that I hadn't given much thought to how Edward was handling all of this. I suddenly felt very selfish at what I had put him through; had I been more experienced, I would have known he would need something in return. "I'm the one who should apologize."

Edward started tracing circles across my arm with his finger, moving his face out of my hair and resting it on my shoulder. "What do you mean? You have nothing to be sorry for."

I shivered, feeling his warm breath on my skin. The tip of his nose was barely touching my collarbone, causing a tickling sensation. "Yes, I do. I've been torturing you all day, bringing you to this point. I didn't even stop to think what it was doing to you."

"For what it's worth, Bella, it's the sweetest kind of torture. I am a guy, so of course I want more, but I'd rather wait until we're both ready."

_Ready?_ I opened my eyes to face him. "So, you don't think we're ready?"

His eyes narrowed, his expression turning more serious than I was accustomed to. "Do you?"

"Yes…I mean no…I mean, I don't know," I stuttered, hating being put on the spot like that.

"No. I think not right now, and certainly not like this. I love you more than I ever thought I could love another person, but I've never been with anyone before and I'm pretty sure you haven't either. It needs to be something special, don't you think?"

His words made my heart flutter as I pictured tiny candles and white satin sheets in my mind. "This is all new to me too, but I think it will be special because it's happening with you," I said sincerely, trying to decide whether or not I cared about the sheets.

He leaned his head in and kissed me softly on the lips. "And because it's you, I don't want it to be some quick tryst in the woods."

It finally dawned on me that I was not only selfish, but blind as well. I had been too caught up in my hormones; forgetting all about romance. Thankfully, Edward had not. He cared about the sheets, so we just needed a plan. "Okay then, when should we try it?"

Edward sat up, shook his head, and let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't have an exact answer; all I can say is that it will happen when the moment is right."

"You mean…kind of like the fate stuff you're always talking about?" I flirted, sitting up alongside him so I could rub his shoulders.

"Exactly," he replied, handing me my blouse then reaching for his shirt. "Now we'd better get going. I need to get home and change my clothes."

"Okay, are you going to drop me off at my house?" I asked as I carefully fastened my bra, while ogling Edward as he threw on his shirt, leaving it un-tucked for obvious reasons.

"I was hoping you might be able to stay and meet my parents tonight," Edward said with a hopeful tone. "Do you think Charlie would go for it?"

My face broke into a huge smile. I had been waiting for him to ask me to meet them. However, tonight wasn't the best time. I bit my bottom lip while I tried to think of the best way to explain myself. "Hmm, how about this weekend? You know he's kinda strict about school nights."

To my relief, he smiled and nodded his head. "Sounds good, I'll set something up."

Edward stood and took my hand, gently pulling me to my feet. Suddenly, flashes of brown streaks leaping through the grass surrounded us. Confusion quickly turned into panic before I realized the flashes were in fact a herd of extremely startled deer; I counted at least ten of them. We stood there in awe, frozen, as we watched them make their way across the meadow. They were so beautiful and elegant as they scattered; it was quite an amazing sight.

"Holy shit, Bella! Where did they all come from?"

"I…have…no idea," I said as my mind continued trying to process what my eyes were seeing. "They must have just snuck up on us when we weren't looking."

"Yeah, I guess we were a little _preoccupied_," Edward said suggestively as we watched the last of the deer tread off into the woods. "I suppose the show is over now, though."

I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Why don't we just call it an intermission?"

Edward's turned his head so that my lips were now against his. He lingered briefly, before pulling back and resting his forehead on mine. "Why, Miss Swan, l just love the way your mind works!"

~*~

We finally managed to keep our hands off each other long enough to get back to the car. I was still feeling particularly feisty, so I dug through his music selection for something fun. To my surprise, my eyes caught sight of the perfect find.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it! You like Prince?" I shrieked, holding up the disc.

"What? I mean, who doesn't?" Edward replied, taking the disc from my hands and putting it in the CD player. "Prince is a great musical talent who should be appreciated by anyone who has any amount of taste."

"I couldn't agree more!" I exclaimed as the song "Kiss" soon filled the car. Not only did I like Prince, but it was also my favorite song of his. Was there anything we didn't have in common? I was really starting to wonder.

We arrived at my house just as "Purple Rain" was getting to that point in the song where you start to wonder if it's ever going to end.

Edward put the car in park and turned down the music, turning to look at me with a curious expression. "Umm, Bella, did you want me to give back the panties?"

I was unable to stifle a laugh as I looked at his pleading face. "No, you can keep them if you'd like."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yeah, um, I'd like that very much. Thank you. It's the best present anyone has ever given me!"

"Well then, it's settled." I leaned over and kissed him with purpose, pushing my tongue between his lips for another taste of him. He responded by reaching his hand under the bib of my overalls and squeezing my right breast through the fabric of my blouse.

"I love you so much," I declared as I broke away for some air.

"You know, I have half a mind to see if I can't get those nails out of your window," he said in mischievous fashion, reluctantly letting go of my breast.

"Wow, Mr. Cullen, I love the way _your_ mind works!" I retorted.

He gave me a small chaste kiss before opening his door, getting out of the car, and opening my door for me too. Once I had gotten out as well, he walked me up the steps of my porch, indulging me in one last kiss before we had to part.

"All right, well I hope you have pleasant dreams tonight," Edward said as I unlocked the door.

If my dreams got any hotter than they had been lately, we were going to be in serious trouble. "Um, yeah…you too!"

"Believe me, love, you've given me plenty to dream about," he said, playfully slapping my butt as he turned to leave.

Yep, I was in for some seriously amazing dreams tonight.

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**I just wanted to say hi to all my new readers! Also, thanks to all of you who have been supporting me throughout the story!**


	16. Meet the Parents

**I do not own, except in my dreams...**

**Special thanks to PTB for their awesome beta skills!**

**I put a little love for the King of Pop in this chapter. Despite recent years, I will always be a huge Michael Jackson fan. R.I.P MJ!**

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EPOV

I paced back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, nervously looking over my mom's shoulder with each passing. Bella would be coming over for dinner tonight, and I was a complete wreck. "Mom, are you sure you have everything you need? I could run to the store if you'd like."

She smiled politely and shook her head. "No, honey, I'm okay. Why don't you go play some music and try to relax for a bit."

_Relax?_ At this point, relaxation was not even remotely possible. "What about Dad? Have you talked to him today?"

"Not since this morning, but he will be here. Dinner isn't for a couple of hours, so please stop worrying."

I nodded and reluctantly retreated to my room. I didn't mean to give her a hard time; I just wanted everything to be perfect for tonight. Bella had been to my house many times before, but she had just never been around my parents. I had put this moment off as long as I could, but there was no way around it now, considering the direction our relationship was taking.

I collapsed onto my bed, closed my eyes, and reached underneath my pillow in search of my new favorite possession. As soon as my fingers touched the lacy fabric, I was instantly _inspired_. I pulled it out and pressed it to my face, taking in her scent as my mind flooded with memories.

My girl was so intoxicating with her long brown hair and smooth white skin. Every touch was heaven, and that wasn't even including her breasts. Those beautiful peaks were almost too much. Then there was her slick wet sex…my hand traveled down my pants, and I knew I would need to snap out of it--that or be forced to take another shower.

I jumped off the bed, abandoning the panties, and hurried to my Stratocaster, taking a moment to flip the switch on my amplifier as well. I was already so frustrated that I knew there was only one thing that could possibly suffice. I threw my head back and began furiously strumming some Metallica, hoping to relieve some tension.

I wanted her so bad; I was at a constant battle within myself. Between my hormones and my conscience, not to mention Bella's angel and devil personae, I was royally fucked no matter what I did. I had counted on her to keep my inner monster at bay. But no, she was worse than I was about the matter.

The guitar playing didn't satisfy me for long, and I soon found myself impatiently discarding it, deciding to head out and pick up Bella instead. I was about halfway to her house before I realized that I hadn't even bothered to call and let her know about my slightly early arrival. I grabbed my cell and quickly dialed her number, but no one answered. I debated turning around but figured I would just take my chances instead.

As I pulled into her driveway, I noticed that Charlie's car wasn't there. I sat there for a moment, finally throwing caution to the wind and getting out. As I approached the door, I heard loud music blaring from inside.

_Someone must be home._

I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I waited a minute and knocked again. Still, no one answered. I slowly reached for the doorknob. To my surprise, it opened immediately, and I let myself in. My ears were assaulted with the sounds of Michael Jackson blaring from the living room.

I stood there, unsure of how to proceed, when I heard Bella's voice radiating from up the stairs.

"Bella?" I called out, attempting to announce my presence. There was no reply. I cautiously ascended the stairs, following the singing in search of her.

What I found was quite an amazing sight: Bella was in front of her mirror, wearing nothing but a shirt and panties, dancing and singing "Smooth Criminal" into her hairbrush. I knew I should announce my presence, but I was enjoying the sight of her attempting to moonwalk entirely too much.

Finally, she did a spin and let out an ear-piercing scream as she caught me gawking at her in the doorway. "Edward! You scared the shit out of me!

I couldn't help but laugh as she looked around for something to cover herself with. "I'm so sorry, love. That was the last thing on my mind."

"Oh yeah? Well, what exactly did you have in mind?" She pulled on a pair of jeans.

I walked into the room and picked up her hairbrush. "Well, right now I'm simply appreciating your love for pop music."

She paused, looking at me with a shy smile. "I−I just love Michael Jackson."

"Hey, who doesn't?" I took a few steps towards her. "The man is a legend. Although, I think I enjoy his music even more when you perform it."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know you were planning to sneak in here," she said as she took a few steps towards me.

I reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her against me. "I believe that's why they call it _sneaking_."

I pressed my lips to hers, kissing her slowly while inching her backwards towards the bed. When we reached the edge, I lowered her gently and laid down beside her. We kissed for what seemed like hours, lost in the moment as always.

"Mmm," she murmured, pulling out of the kiss. "I always wondered what it would be like to have you in my bed."

As soon as she'd broken our kiss, reality came back to me. I sighed, frustrated with all of the forces that seemed to be against us. "You know, as much as I hate to break this up, I came to take you to my house."

"Do we have to? Maybe they won't notice if we're not there."

I sat up on the bed, my hands caressing her sides as I drank in the sight of her this way. "I think they would catch on fairly quickly. Besides, Charlie would surely notice when he came home."

"I guess you're right," she said with reluctance as she sat up on the bed. "Let's go."

I took her by the hand and led her out of the room, down the stairs, and to my car. It had been a short visit to her house, but the memory would stay with me indefinitely.

***

Before long, we arrived at my house. For the first time ever, I led her through the front of the house instead of directly to the basement. There was still no sign of Carlisle, but I found Esme right away. She was, of course, in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the meal. I cleared my throat to get her attention, and she looked up at us and smiled.

"Mom, this is Bella."

"Hello, Mrs. Cullen, it's nice to meet you."

"Yes, dear, so nice to meet you too. And please, call me Esme."

"Mom, where's Dad?" I asked impatiently. It was almost time for dinner and he still hadn't shown up. I was starting to get a little pissed.

She smiled nervously. "He should be here shortly."

"You said that a while ago."

"Yes, well, why don't you two set the table while I get the lasagna out of the oven?"

Bella spoke up. "We'd be glad to." She shot me pleading look, so I reluctantly followed her to the dining room.

"What are you thinking?"

"I think your mom seems really nice," she answered, taking the glasses out of the hutch.

I followed her lead, reaching into the drawer to retrieve the napkins and rings. "Yeah, she's awesome. It's my dad you have to watch out for."

She shook her head as she watched me struggle with the napkins. "Here, let me do that."

She took the stack of napkins out of my hand, and I watched as she worked each one into the rings. It wasn't that I was incapable of doing it, but I was way too nervous for such delicate work. I knew I shouldn't stare, but everything she did seemed to fascinate me.

"Well now, who do we have here?"

I looked up to see Carlisle standing in the doorway of the dining room, looking a little too cocky for my liking. "Dad, this is Bella."

She set the final napkin down and approached my father.

"Hello, nice to meet you."

"Well, aren't you lovely? I see now why Edward has been so distracted lately."

I made my way to Bella's side, wrapping my arm around her waist as I took a protective stance. About that time, Esme stepped into the room.

"Oh good, you're here. I think we're just about ready. You kids have a seat while I get the food."

"While you're doing that, I'll get the drinks," Carlisle volunteered. "What would everyone like?"

"I'll have a soda," I replied flatly.

"Um, I'll just have iced tea, please."

"Excellent," Carlisle replied, following Esme to the kitchen.

I took Bella's hand in mine and gave her a reassuring smile. "See, that wasn't too bad."

"Well, no. Actually, your dad isn't at all what I pictured."

"Don't let him fool you. He's been good lately, but he can be a total dick when he wants to be."

Esme came in, carrying a huge pan of lasagna, followed by Carlisle with a tray of drinks.

"That smells wonderful," Bella complimented as Esme placed the dish in the middle of the table.

"Thank you. It's the boys' favorite."

"Okay," Carlisle said as he approached the table. "That's soda for you, Edward, water for Esme, and tea for Bella and me."

Esme made quick work of passing out platefuls of food to everyone, to which Bella eagerly dug into right away.

"Bella, you might want to be careful. It's still—"

"Oh God!" Bella cried, dropping her fork as she reached for her tea.

I couldn't help but laugh at her wide-eyed expression. "Are you okay?"

"Hot!" she managed to say between gulps.

"I've never seen quite that reaction before," Esme chuckled.

"I think I burnt my tongue," Bella said finally, finishing the last of her tea.

Carlisle stood and reached for her glass. "Why don't I get you some more tea?"

"Thank you," we both said in unison.

I rubbed my thumb over her hand, trying to console her in some small way. A few minutes later, Carlisle returned with the tea, and we continued with dinner. Bella seemed too embarrassed to speak, but Esme wasn't having that.

"Edward tells me you went to Catholic school before transferring to Forks High."

"Yes ma'am."

"That must have been quite a change for you."

"Actually, it was a change for the better. I hated Catholic school. The people were very mean there. Besides, I was very uncomfortable since I'm not even Catholic."

Carlisle arched his brow, and I quickly interceded. "Long story."

Esme smiled knowingly and changed the subject. "Are you musically inclined like our Edward?"

"Not really. I like music a lot, but I'm more of a writer."

"What kind of things do you write?"

"Short stories, poems…" She took another large sip of her tea. "Hopefully songs one day."

"You know, Bella, you're probably better off staying away from the music industry. It can be too much of a _distraction_ for a young person."

"A distraction?" I hissed. "Wouldn't that depend on the goal?"

"Edward, I believe the goal is to have a future."

"What if the future is music? I'm not sure if you are aware, Dad, but there are people who stick with it and make quite a life for themselves."

"Yeah," Bella quipped. "And Edward is really cute with a guitar in his hand."

_What the hell? _Everyone froze, all eyes landing on Bella. She giggled, not bothering to acknowledge her sudden outburst.

I cleared my throat, and Esme changed the subject.

"So, how did you two meet?"

"Alice introduced us," I muttered cautiously.

"Come on, _Edward_, tell them the rest. You see, Alice said she was introducing me to her imaginary friend, and then we were wearing the same shoes. Edward here said it was fate and we ended up in—"

"Bella!" I interrupted. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm just _trying_ to tell them the story. You seriously need to lighten up!"

Something was definitely not right here. I needed to get to the bottom of it—_fa_s_t_. "Mom, I think we need to be excused."

I pulled Bella up and quickly ushered her to the basement. I never noticed how clumsy she was, but I had to help her walk the whole way. As soon as we were in my room, she turned and pushed me up against the wall.

I gasped as her eyes lazily roamed my body. "Seriously, Bella, why the hell are you acting like this?"

"Like what? Like a girl who wants you?"

She rammed her lips into mine, her tongue attacking me to the point where I thought I might choke. That's when I noticed it. _That taste._

I put up my hands and gently pushed her away from my mouth. "Bella, you've been drinking."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Don't be ridiculous. Although, there is one thing I wouldn't mind a drink of…"

_Oh God!_ She slid down my body until she was on her knees, unfastening the button of my jeans.

_Shit, fuck, damn! _Thiscould not be now, and certainly not like this.

I reached down for my zipper, pushing her hands out of the way before she could pull it down. "You need to stop."

She did stop, but the look of rejection that stared up at me with tear-stained eyes was heartbreaking. "Edward, I'm sorry I−I think I'm gonna be sick!" She raced for the outside door, and I could only watch in horror as she puked into the shrubs outside.

_Fucking perfect. _

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I watched her pass out onto the ground. I instinctively ran to her side, picking her up, carrying her back inside. I opted for the couch, since I knew it would be easier to clean if she had another mishap.

"Bella? I'm going to go get you a cold compress, okay?" I rubbed her cheeks but couldn't get much in the way of a reaction. She groaned, but her eyes never opened. I set a trash can by her head and made my way back into the house. I was going to have to get to the bottom of this.

I found Esme in the kitchen, putting away the leftovers. "Mom? I think Bella's drunk."

She gasped. "Are you sure? I mean, she was acting a little strange all of a sudden, but there's no need to jump to conclusions."

"Mom, trust me, I tasted it on her. It was definitely alcohol."

She scowled at me. "You know how I feel about that. Whatever would possess her to come over here drunk?"

"That's just it; she wasn't drunk when I picked her up. I don't know what happened. She didn't have anything to drink except the tea that Carlisle…" I grew quiet as the pieces came together inside my head. "Damn him!"

"Edward! Please watch your language."

"Don't you get it? _He_ did it. He got her drunk!" I stormed out of the kitchen before she could respond, knowing that I needed to find the culprit.

I found Carlisle in the den, stretched out in his recliner with a glass of Scotch in his hand and a knowing smile on his face. "To what do I owe this visit? I assumed you'd be entertaining your guest right about now."

"Cut the shit, _Carlisle_, you know why I'm here. As for my guest, she is passed out on my couch."

He shook his head in disappointment. "Oh, well, that is unfortunate."

I began to shake, his nonchalant attitude sending my fury into overdrive. Before I knew it, I had grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to his feet, causing his glass of Scotch to fall to the floor.

"I've been waiting for an excuse to properly kick your sorry ass. I guess now is as good of a time as any."

He snickered. "You should be thanking me, _son_. After all, I was only trying to help you out."

"Help me! HELP ME?" I screamed as my blood boiled with rage. "How exactly was that supposed to help me? Do you have any idea how her father is going to react if he sees her like this?"

His expression turned to one of disgust. "All I know is that I'm sick and tired of not having any hot water when I go to take a shower," he spat. "You seemed to be struggling, so I thought I would help you move things along."

I pulled back my fist and punched him in the jaw. I watched him tumble onto the floor, but still I felt no relief.

At that moment, Esme walked into the den, her face horror-stricken at the scene she was witnessing. "What is going on in here?"

I flexed my sore hand, my eyes remaining on my cowering father. "_He_ did it, Mom. He admitted it. That piece of shit put alcohol in her drink. She must not have noticed because of her burnt tongue."

She folded her arms across her chest, eyes darting back and forth between the two of us for a moment before speaking. "First of all, Edward, I've told you before that I won't have that language in my house. Second, Carlisle, I want you to leave—right now!"

Carlisle struggled to his feet, his hand pressed against his jaw. "Fine, if that's how you want it. I suppose I should be used to this by now."

She ignored him and turned to me. "Edward, I think you should go tend to Bella."

I didn't wait around to see any more. Instead, I made a cold compress for Bella and returned to the basement. I found her still lying on the couch, and her eyes popped open as I applied the cool cloth to her forehead.

"Edward…oh man…I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

"Shhh, it's okay. It's okay. Carlisle put alcohol in your drink, but I took care of it."

She sat up straight, facing me with a shocked gaze. "He did that? But why?"

"I don't know why. He's got issues. Do you want to press charges?"

She grew quiet, eyes locked on her lap as she considered her options. "If we did, there would be no way to keep it from my dad."

I ran my sore fingers over her damp hair. "I know. I already thought about that. I'm so sorry, Bella."

She grabbed my hand and pressed it to her cheek. "It's not your fault. Besides, I'm beginning to feel better."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm still a little woozy, but I'll live."

"That's good to hear. I was pretty worried there for a second. I paused, as the full weight of the situation sank in. So, what do we do now?"

"I'm going to go to the bathroom and clean up a little. Then, if you don't mind, I think I'd just like to go home."

"That's perfectly understandable. You do that and I'll go check on Mom."

"Hey, Edward? What happened to your hand?"

"I'll explain later," I mumbled. Slowly, I made my way back to the main house.

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**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to the sexy man I met at the Aerosmith concert last night. I never got your name, but there's nothing quite as exciting as seeing a hot guy at a concert with the Twilight book in hand! **


	17. The Aftermath

**I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters.**

**Special thanks to my awesome betas, SecretlySeverus and lisa89, and all the girls at Project Team Beta!**

**Sorry for the delay. I've been working hard on a new series I've started. It's called Thriller, and it's a collection of one-shots inspired by the songs of Michael Jackson. Be sure to check out the link on my profile. If anyone would like to contribute, be sure to pm me.**

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**BPOV**

I was sleeping somewhat peacefully when I awoke to a loud knocking sound echoing up the stairs.

_Oh my God! What is that horrible noise? _

I groaned and tried to pull the covers over my head, but the noise didn't stop. I tried to drown it out with a pillow, but it was relentless. Finally, I gave up and dragged myself out of the bed.

I threw on a pair of sweatpants and looked over at the clock. It was 9:30 in the morning. It was also Sunday, so there was absolutely no reason for anyone to be knocking on my door right now. I crept slowly down the stairs, wondering if I should grab a frying pan or something—just in case. I peeked through the blinds and saw a bright yellow Beetle in my driveway.

_Alice_.

I couldn't figure out why she was here, but I hurried over and opened up the door nonetheless.

"Good morning!" she squeaked, shoving a bag of doughnuts in my face as she made her way inside.

Behind her was a not-so-perky Rosalie, carrying a tray of coffee. She smiled apologetically. "Hey, Bella, I'm sorry about what happened." I nodded politely, not really understanding her meaning, and stepped aside to let her in.

I closed the door and followed the girls into the kitchen, somewhat surprised to see them. As far as they knew, I should be in church right now. Only my dad knew that I had stayed home today. After Edward had brought me home last night, I'd made a big production of fake PMS for my dad's benefit. Nothing ever kept Charlie off my back quite as well as my menstrual cycle.

I grabbed a coffee and took a big sip before addressing my friends. "So, what brings the dynamic duo to my doorstep this early? I mean, not that I'm not happy to see you. It's just—"

"Oh, well, Edward called and told me what happened," Alice interrupted in her typical fashion.

I was a little confused. "He did?"

"Well, yeah. I think he was worried you might not want to speak to him. He was really beating himself up over it. Anyway, I knew you would need us, so I called Rose…"

I looked over at Rosalie. She rolled her eyes and grabbed a coffee for herself. "What she means to say is that she got up at the crack of dawn, drank an unknown amount of coffee, and decided to wake my ass up to share the news!"

I shook my head but smiled. "And I suppose it was a mutual decision that I should be awake with you guys?"

Alice giggled and reached for a doughnut. "Oh course, silly. You're the reason we're up to begin with. Besides, it's not just you. I made Jasper and Emmett pay a visit to Edward, too."

"In my defense," Rosalie began, "I thought that perhaps her 'major news' was going to be that you and Eddie had finally done the deed."

I got up from the table and began the search for Aspirin. "I wish that was what happened…"

Rose continued as I washed down the pills with my coffee. "Yeah, anyways, when I heard his dad got you drunk, I started to think that maybe you had done it with him instead."

"Agh, that's gross, Rose!" I feigned gagging sounds as Alice threw part of a doughnut at her.

"Hey, I was just kidding. You know, trying to lighten the mood. Watch yourself, pixie!" she warned as she smeared powdered sugar on Alice's nose.

_Well, it's not as if the truth is that much more believable._

We laughed and talked at the table for a little over an hour, only getting serious when I went over the details of last night's events. At that point, the girls stayed quiet until I was finished.

Finally, Rose spoke up. "You were lucky, you know."

_Did I hear that right?_

Her bold statement sparked the anger in me that I had been trying to suppress. "Lucky? How can you say that? It was the single worst day of my life!"

Both girls looked slightly shaken by my outburst, and I knew I shouldn't take it out on them. I was just finding it rather hard to control my emotions at the moment.

Finally, Rose lowered her voice and tried again. "Even so, at least you had Edward there to look after you."

She was right—I knew she was right. It _could_ have been much worse. Alcoholism had caused much worse tragedies for families. Besides, at least Charlie hadn't found out.

Alice looked at me with an arched eyebrow and calmly asked, "Bella, are you going to report this?"

_How can I put this so that they would understand?_

I shook my head and took a deep breath. "It's complicated…"

*~*

They both agreed that I had done the right thing by not reporting it to the police. Nothing bad had actually happened, unless you counted the fact that I'd made a complete ass of myself at dinner.

I felt a lot better until they left. It was when I was alone with my thoughts that I let the horror wash over me. I didn't know how I was going to ever face Esme again. Not only had I disrespected her home, but also I had also caused a major issue in her marriage. I clearly remembered that Carlisle was gone before Edward had taken me home. I refused to feel sorry for him, no matter what he had been through to become this way. The man was a walking disaster; everything he touched turned to shit.

_I really need a cigarette. _

Of course, my dad would be home soon, so that was out of the question. I probably didn't _actually_ need one anyway. I had always heard that it was a mental addiction more than physical. I only knew that I needed _something_…

As if he could sense my distress, the phone rang.

_Edward_.

I answered it on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey," said the sweetest voice in the whole world. "How are you?"

"I'm okay…" I replied weakly. "How about you?"

"I've been better. Do you feel like talking?"

_Did I? I thought I was more transparent than that._

Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

He let out a deep sigh as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. "I just wanted to make sure, you know, after everything that happened."

"Edward, I'll always want to talk to you."

"Cool. So tell me, did everything go okay with Charlie?"

I giggled, remembering the look on my dad's face when I told him what the problem was. "Yeah, I came home and went straight to bed. I told him I was having cramps, so he left me alone."

"Oh, umm, okay. That's a good answer, I guess."

I could tell the very mention of "cramps" was making him uncomfortable as well, so I decided to change the subject. "How's Esme handling things?"

"She's the type to always avoid the issue, so she's busy with that right now."

"Hmm…" That didn't really sound the healthiest way to deal with things, but who was I to judge?

"Yeah."

I was trying to keep my emotions in check, but the thought of what Esme must be going through was too much for me to handle. "Edward?" I began to sob. "I'm sorry."

"Hey." his voice cracked. "None of that, now. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why do I feel like this is all my fault?" I really wanted to believe Edward's words; every part of my rational mind agreed with him. However, there was no convincing the emotional part of me of that fact.

"Bella," he pleaded, "my family has been dealing with Carlisle's alcohol problems since long before you came into the picture. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else."

"I suppose…"

"It's okay. Please don't cry."

"I'm just so embarrassed!" I blurted out, feeling even more so having said it aloud.

"Don't be." He lowered his voice. "If anyone is to blame here, it's me."

"You? You didn't do anything, though."

"I know. That's the problem. I know my father as well as anyone could ever hope to. I should have been paying more attention."

"But, you couldn't have known—"

"It's my job to protect you!"

I heard the sound of my Charlie's car pulling into the driveway. I knew he was upset, but I couldn't finish this conversation with an audience. "Hey, Edward? I need to go. My dad's home."

He sighed. "Okay, but can I see you at some point today?"

I considered it for a moment, but then decided against it. I wasn't ready to go back to that house just yet, and my dad would surely pick up on the weird vibes if Edward came over here. "No, if it's okay with you, I think I'd rather just stay here today."

"Oh…" His voice was full of disappointment. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Okay," I said reluctantly.

He paused. "And, Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

I realized then, as I hung up the phone, that everything was going to be okay—maybe not today, probably not tomorrow, but soon.

* * *

**A/N Okay, I know this one was somewhat short. However, the good news is that the next chapter is going to more than make up for it. **

**Also, you guys need to check lisa89's fic, Appasionata. It's a new story, but a great read. AU-H, ExB, Pianoward at his best (and worst)!**

**FF link: .net/s/5094381/1/Appassionata**


	18. Snow Day

**I do not own, except in my dreams and some questionable fantasies.**

**Special thanks to Duskwatcher, my partner in crime, for giving me the courage to get this chapter out. **

**I would also like the thank my awesome betas, SecretlySeverus and Lisa89, along with Project Team Beta. Without you guys this chapter would have been a disaster!**

* * *

**BPOV**

Life didn't return to normal too soon after the incident with Carlisle that had taken place; in fact, those wounds were extremely slow to heal. For some who were involved, I feared things would never be the same again. Carlisle and Esme had officially separated, and neither were doing well. According to Edward, he had it on good authority that his dad's drinking problem had grown steadily worse.

Esme wasn't doing much better. Edward had informed me she was taking several prescription medications just to get through the day. Edward continued to blame himself, and his self-loathing became an everyday thing.

Although I was the victim in the fiasco, I seemed to be the only one who had gotten over it. Perhaps it was easier for me since I didn't have to live at the scene of the crime. Then again, maybe it was just that I was focused on _other things_. My only concern was to get my Edward back to the way he had been so that we could pick up where we had left off. With the help of Alice and Rosalie, I instigated one plan after another, searching for something to break down his wall.

First, I tried a plan devised by Alice to get him relaxed. She gave me a bag full of scented candles and oils and instructed me on how to properly give him a massage. Things were going well, until Edward had insisted I let him up so that he could have a cigarette during the middle of it. He then bitched for the next ten minutes about how messy the oils were before he insisted I let him take a shower.

Next, I tried a plan concocted by Rosalie to get him distracted. She and Alice picked me up and took me to her house for a photo shoot. After they insisted I put on my Catholic school uniform, Alice fixed my hair and makeup and then placed me into somewhat suggestive poses while Rosalie snapped a ton of photos. Edward was responsive to them, but not in the way I'd wanted. He kissed, groped, and pushed against my body roughly and with fervor, but I could tell that his heart really wasn't in it, and I made him stop before things got too far.

Finally, I came to the conclusion that I was tired of playing games and decided to try out an idea of my very own. I had been doing a lot of writing lately, and Edward had been the inspiration for most of it. I had one poem in particular that, while not completely finished, seemed too important to wait. I left the piece of paper on his coffee table one afternoon as he was about to take me back to my house.

To say that Edward liked my poem would be an understatement. The truth was that he called me not twenty minutes after he'd brought me home, and I noticed right away that _my_ Edward was back. We laughed and talked for over an hour. I worried that it wouldn't last, but the next day was the same. I even caught a glimpse of him horsing around with Jasper and Emmett just outside the lunchroom. I knew then that we were back on track; only one more obstacle stood in our way.

Then the snow came.

The school day started out just like any other day. The forecast hadn't called for any bad weather, but by lunchtime, the snow was falling down pretty hard. An announcement came over the speakers that school was going to be dismissed early—meaning at that moment. Cheers erupted all around the cafeteria, and the room quickly became a near riot as the news circulated. I heard Alice saying something to me, possibly about a ride home, but at that moment everything had ceased to exist except for me and Edward.

He stood up from the table and was by my side before I could even blink. I almost lost myself in his piercing gaze as he reached out his hand invitingly. I didn't hesitate for a moment, taking his hand in mine and slowly rising up from my chair. There were no words exchanged between us except silently through our eyes. Slowly, he began leading me across the lunchroom as if he were leading me onto the dance floor for an evening waltz. We moved in perfect unison, taking one gentle step at a time, increasing our pace as we crossed the room. Finally, he halted our movements as his lips curled into a seductive smile and his eyes motioned towards the exit. With one last look, we each inhaled a deep breath and took off sprinting towards the door.

We quickly made our way into the parking lot. Edward allowed the car a few minutes to warm up while we undertook the task of removing all of the freshly fallen snow from his windshield. As I found myself up to my elbows in snow, inspiration struck me. In one swift movement, I gathered up a large clump of snow and formed it into a ball.

"Hey Edward!" I called out teasingly. As soon as he looked up, I threw the ball of snow at his chest and laughed wildly. I then braced myself for his reaction and possible retaliation that would soon follow.

"Oh shit no! It's on now, you little she-devil!" Edward cried out as he quickly grabbed a fistful of snow and shoved it down my shirt.

I let out a joyous scream as I tried desperately to remove the frozen intruder from my blouse. Once I had gotten the last of it out, I proceeded to try to shove a generous handful down his jeans. He saw me coming, though, and was able to block my attack. As he grabbed my wrists, we wrestled to the frozen ground, both laughing hysterically as we rolled around in the glistening snow.

At some point we both froze, just taking each other in, before crushing our lips into one another. As we moved our lips in perfect rhythm, the rest of the world ceased to exist. There was no school and no snow— only Edward and me. Finally, he broke free and pulled me up into his arms. I looked into his beautiful stained-glass eyes, searching his face for some sign of what were to come. He smiled at me reassuringly, and I felt as if I had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach.

He released me from his arms, and we did our best to brush off all of the snow. I realized that this was quite possibly the most perfect moment of my existence, although I couldn't seem to remember any others to compare it to.

Edward opened up the passenger door and motioned for me to get in. "Bella, I love you so much." His voice was full of wanting, as if he were desperate for me to believe him.

"I love you too, but I don't want this day to end." I sighed as he joined me inside the Volvo.

"What are you talking about, Bella?" he said as he planted a quick peck on my forehead. "This day is just getting started."

With that, he threw the car in reverse, and we peeled out of the parking lot. I couldn't even begin to hide my excitement at that moment. I didn't know where we were going nor did I care. Nothing mattered to me at that point except my Edward. It was barely even noon, and my dad wouldn't get home until five.

_We had plenty of time. _

I sat back and closed my eyes as Edward turned up the radio and lit us both a cigarette. Neither of us spoke, nor did we need to; we were past the point of speaking. Besides that, there was no way I would have been able to produce anything even remotely intelligent at that point. Edward's hand had rubbed its way into my inner thigh, leaving me in a state of pure bliss.

* * *

As we arrived at his house, realization began to sink in. It was the middle of the day. His parents weren't home, so we had the place to ourselves. That could only mean one thing: this was _our_ moment.

Neither of us said a word as he fumbled with his keys and tried nervously to unlock the basement door. Once we were inside, he pulled me tight against his chest and began planting a trail of kisses up my neck. I closed my eyes, allowing the sensation to overtake me.

"I want you Bella," he whispered seductively, his teeth grazing my earlobe.

I thought my heart was going to explode right then and there. He wanted me. I was wanted. I tried in vain to hold him tighter, since I no longer trusted my own legs to hold me up. Was I shaking? I knew he was waiting on my response, but no words would come. Then he spoke again.

"Bella, did you hear what I said?" This time he placed his hand on my waist and slowly started trailing it downwards. It wasn't exactly what I had been expecting, but it was still very intriguing to say the least. However, this was in no way helping my brain form a response to his question. All I could do was nod my head as I tried to keep my body from melting at his touch. He responded by cupping my chin with his other hand, ceasing my continuous nodding. At the same time, his lips moved back to my neck for another series of kisses.

"Don't you want me, too?" he asked, a hint of desperation in his voice. Without waiting for a response, he ceased the kissing and began to nibble at my collarbone. I was breathing so hard that I was afraid I might hyperventilate.

"Uh huh," was my weak, raspy response. Edward raised his head to meet my gaze and moved his hands to my shoulders, grasping them tightly.

"Bella, say it," he demanded, his eyes wild with need. "Out loud! I need to believe you."

"I want you," I assured him, pressing my hips into his so that he could feel the heat radiating from my body.

Edward hissed as he turned his gaze up toward the ceiling. He paused for a minute, as if he were having some private struggle, before returning his eyes to meet mine.

"I love you," Edward whispered softly as he scooped me up in his arms and quickly carried meto his bed, his eyes never leaving mine. He laid me down gently and climbed on top of me, parting my legs with his knees as he hovered over me and stroked my hair.

"I—I love you too," I replied with slight apprehension.

Edward stared down at me with obvious concern. "We don't have to do this today. It seemed like the moment was right, but we'll have another chance if you're not ready."

"No, Edward. I've never wanted anything more in my entire life," I said firmly, hoping that my words would convince him.

"Then why do you look so frightened all of a sudden?"

That was a good question. Why was I so scared? I supposed it was only natural to feel that way. It was our first time, after all.

"It's just that, well, I've never done this before."

He smiled and stroked my cheek lightly. "It's my first time, too, you know. That's what makes it so special. Love like this doesn't happen to everyone. Before you came along, my life was so meaningless and empty. You gave me a reason to get up each day, a reason to go on. I can't for the life of me understand why you chose me, but I would sell my soul to the devil himself to make love to you."

At that point I cut him off with an urgent kiss, rolling us so that I was on top of him. No more talking, no more debating. I was ready.

As my kiss increased in urgency, it didn't take him long to understand. Without another word, he unfastened my overalls, slid them down my legs, and threw them clear across the room. I responded by practically ripping off his shirt— perhaps a bit too roughly— and then moving my shaky hands to his jeans. We continued removing pieces of clothing until the only thing left in our way was our underwear. Edward flipped us, so that he was once again on top, and lifted my up my leg to meet his lips. I hissed slightly, as he kissed his way to my thigh. Each kiss felt like hot wax against my skin, causing me to grasp his hair tightly with my hands.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered as he released me from the confines of my bra.

Slowly, I reached my hand down into the inside of his boxers and began to tug at his swollen member. The feeling of his hardness only heightened my excitement; it was much more intimate than the previous contact we'd had between our clothes. I could tell it was more intense for him, too, and I watched his face come alive as he took my left breast into his mouth and sucked eagerly on the pebbled flesh.

"Oh God!" I whimpered as his teeth grazed my tender peaks. We were just getting started, and I could already feel the wetness soaking its way through my panties. Edward responded by gliding his hand down my stomach. His hand lingered momentarily at the waistline of my panties before he continued on down.

"So slick…so wet" he groaned as he gently pushing one finger inside me followed by another. "I want to taste you."

My body stiffened at his words, fear of the unknown taking over me. To my dismay, Edward noticed my reaction and stopped his movements.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not that."

"Don't tell me you've suddenly decided to become shy," he chuckled.

"I'm just not sure," I mumbled with alight apprehension. "I mean, what if it tastes bad?"

His face quickly became serious as he pulled his hand away and shifted his body so that he was no longer on top of me but sandwiched between the wall and my side. "Bella, everything about you is perfection." He brought his finger to his lips and slowly licked it clean. "Including your taste."

The sight of him licking my juices was overwhelming, and I pulled at his waist, urging him to lie on top of me once more. After he had moved back to hovering over me, I lifted my hips so he could remove the final obstruction from my body. His eyes lingered on me for a moment, causing my cheeks to flush at his assessment. His smile reassured me, and I felt myself somewhat relax as he discarded the offending garment and lowered his head between my thighs.

I took a deep breath as his lips made contact, and closed my eyes to enjoy the moment. He traced over my folds with his tongue, causing my legs to twitch involuntarily. His tongue was hot and smooth as he alternated between licking and sucking; at times I could feel his nose against me. I was struggling to get my body under control when he pressed his thumb down on my clit and rubbed in a circular motion.

Suddenly, my entire body was pulsing, and I couldn't hold back any longer. "Oh, Edward!" I cried out as I let myself drown in waves of pleasure.

When my body finally stilled, I opened my eyes and looked down at Edward, only to find him breathing heavily as he watched me succumb to his ministrations. I reached out my hand and pushed his hair out of his face. I felt closer to him at that moment than I ever thought possible. He smiled at me proudly and placed a kiss on my stomach.

"Amazing," he muttered as he sat up, scooted off the edge of the bed, and walked across the room.

_If it' so amazing, why is he stopping? _

I started a mental checklist of all the possible reasons for his actions.

_Maybe something is wrong. Maybe he changed his mind. Then again, maybe he just needed to go to the bathroom._

"Umm, Edward? In case I didn't make myself clear enough before," I said, frustrated by the distance between us. "I _am_ ready to do this. You don't have to stop."

Edward looked over his shoulder and smirked. "I wasn't planning on it."

_Yeah, well, this would work a lot better if you weren't on the other side of the room._

He stopped at his dresser and reached into the bottom drawer, pulling out a tiny foil packet. I'm just trying to prepare," he said as he pushed his boxers down. The sight of him completely exposed caused my cheeks to burn, along with another region further south.

_Wow!_

He was the most beautiful man on the face of this earth. Everything else about him was so perfect, so I should have known beforehand that this part of him would be as well.

"I need to be inside you, Bella," he said as he tore open the package and rolled the condom down with ease. Thankfully, he was being the responsible one today; my mind had stopped functioning properly back at the cafeteria.

He made his way back to the bed and climbed on top of me, nestling between my legs so that I could feel his hardness at my entrance. "Umm, this might hurt a little, so please tell me if you need to stop."

I nodded; my eyes remained locked with his as he proceeded to enter me about halfway. I gasped at the realization that he was inside me, even if only partly. He paused to allow me one last chance to change my mind.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he gently stroked his fingers against my cheek.

"I'm fine" I gasped. I didn't know why I was already breathing so hard. I didn't know if it was nerves, anticipation, or the feeling of him inside of me. All I knew was there was no going back now, and I didn't ever want to go back.

"Do you want me to keep going?" He asked, concern evident in his voice.

"Uh huh," I replied. It wasn't exactly pillow talk, but I was far too gone to form any real words.

As I felt him fill me completely, I couldn't help but flinch as my body adjusted to the intrusion. It did sting a little, but it was well worth it.

""Oh God, Bella, so tight, so warm, so much…"

He moved very slowly at first, gradually increasing his speed to allow more friction. As the pressure increased, so did our breathing, his quickly turning to grunts. I boldly wrapped my ankles around his, trying to get his body even closer to mine. He let out a deep groan and gripped my hips tightly; I responded by digging my nails into his back. I could tell he was on the edge, and I instinctively began bucking my hips in perfect rhythm with his.

"You feel so good," he panted into my neck. "I'm not going to last much longer!"

"It's okay, just let go," I urged.

"Bella…Bella….Bella," he cried and his body shuddered on top of me.

With one final thrust, he collapsed against my chest and closed his eyes. I lay there, panting heavily as I felt him twitch inside of me. I knew then that this was what they meant by making love. I couldn't think of a more perfect day for it to happen or a more perfect guy for it to happen with.

He placed a kiss on my forehead, and I closed my eyes, drifting into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**EPOV**

I lay there and watched her sleep for quite some time. She was absolutely breathtaking, naked and tangled up in my sheets. I reached out my hand and lightly stroked her cheek; her lips parted, and I could swear she whispered my name. I noticed a lock of hair stuck against her eyelid and moved it out of the way. Even with her hair a knotted mess, she had never appeared more beautiful than in this moment.

Slowly, I eased off the bed and pulled on my boxers, shaking my head in disbelief. We'd really done it; Bella and I had made love. It was perfect and magical, and I felt relieved that I had waited all this time. I'd had several opportunities over the years, and I was far from innocent. However, something inside me had always prevented me from letting things go too far with any of the others. Before, I'd had no idea what held me back. Now I knew that I had been waiting for _her_.

I walked across the room, grabbed my acoustic guitar, and took a seat on the couch. My eyes wandered to the piece of paper lying amongst a handful of suggestive photographs strewn haphazardly across the coffee table.

_Bella's poem. _

I pulled it out of the pile and began to play. The melody was one that I had worked on for quite a while, but had never been able to find the right words to go with it. That was until now.

_Crawling unsteady through this life_

_My soul like broken wings_

_Finding solace in your arms_

_Alive with what you bring_

_*~*_

_High above the clouds_

_They will see_

_Away from the shadows_

_We'll fly free_

As my voice trailed off at the end of the chorus, I noticed Bella had begun to stir.

"Mmm…Edward…" she murmured as she stretched and yawned. I couldn't help but stare as if in a trance as she rolled onto her back and snuggled against my pillow.

"Bella, there are no words for how amazing you look in my bed."

She grinned. "Oh, I don't know. I thought the words you just sang seemed pretty appropriate."

Somehow, it seemed as if Bella always did know how to say just the right thing at the right moment. I never seemed to get it right with anyone else. I always seemed too serious in casual circumstances and too much of a smartass when things were not actually funny. However, with Bella, I usually managed to get things right. It was as simple and effortless as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Yes, I suppose you could say we make beautiful music together."

"I agree completely, but can I make a request?"

She obviously didn't realize that I would deny her nothing at this point. "Yes, love?"

She looked up at me with her big brown eyes and feigned innocence as she asked, "Could you play me some more?"

I grabbed the guitar by the neck and moved back over to the bed. We sat opposite of one another, my back pressed against the depiction of the moon as my fingers worked the strings.

_Living life is never easy _

_But with you I do not fear_

_I'm safe with you up on our moon_

_In our galaxy year after year_

_*~*_

_High above the clouds_

_They will see_

_Away from the shadows_

_We'll fly free_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, guys, so this was the big one! I'm very inexperienced with lemons, so I'm still a little nervouse about this one. Please show me some love, and let me know how it turned out! **

**Also, if you go looking for this song on the TL playlist, you will not find it there. This one was written by yours truly!**


	19. Future Plans

**I still don't own Twilight or any of it's characters**

**I want to thank all of you for your wonderful encouragement on the last chapter. Breaking into lemons is not the easiest thing to do, so your kind words were much appreciated.**

**Also, special thanks to SecretlySeverus, Lisa89, and Project Team Beta for all of your help with the story!**

* * *

**EPOV**

"Oh God, Edward, I think I'm about to—"

She was suddenly at a loss for words as her breathing became ragged. I could feel her walls clamp down on me as she tumbled over the edge. Finally, I'd gotten her off without the use of my fingers. She had assured me several times that it would take some practice before it happened, but it was hard to shake the feeling of disappointment when it didn't.

The sound of her riding out the waves of pleasure was music to my ears. As I felt her warm juices cover me, I found my own release. Gripping her hips tightly, I slammed into her one last time with as much force as I could without hurting her.

"Bella, ungh, so good!"

It was very good—good enough that it felt like our first time all over again. The snow was long gone, but we'd hardly even noticed. For the past few weeks, we had been almost unable to keep our pants on, and I never grew tired of being with her. She seemed unable to get her fill as well. If anything, her need grew with each time we were together.

Once her body became still, I let her go. She collapsed against my chest, her hair almost choking me as it spilled over my face and into my mouth. We lay there for a moment before she finally broke the silence.

"Hey, Edward, I forgot to tell you good morning," she mumbled as I tried to work her hair out of my face.

"Well, that makes sense, seeing as how you savagely attacked me at your door," I chuckled, my mouth finally free from the entanglement of her luscious brown mane.

She raised her head and propped herself up on her elbows. "You seemed like you were enjoying it."

"Oh, I'm not complaining—but shit, what time is it?" My eyes darted around the room, searching for her alarm clock.

She rolled her eyes and pulled at my arm, looking down at the watch I'd forgotten I was wearing. "We have about ten minutes to get to first period."

I nervously ran my hands through my hair. "Not good. We are _so_ late."

She climbed off me and began gathering up our clothes, tossing each article onto the bed. "Yeah, but it was _so_ worth it."

I jumped to my feet, grabbed my jeans, and began the task of putting them on. "Even if we get detention?"

"I'm sure we'll find _some_ way to pass the time," she said suggestively, as she fastened her bra over her magnificent breasts. I felt my dick twitch slightly.

_Fuck, I must be part rabbit or something._

I grabbed her blouse and helped her into it. "Bella, I love you," I stated, carefully buttoning each tiny gem on her top. They were so sparkly that they looked like tiny diamonds. "How about we _attempt_ to make it to our first class?"

She nodded, quickly breaking away from me to find her shoes. "I think we can make it."

"I wish I had your optimism," I mused as I rushed to throw my shirt on. As soon as we were both presentable, I grabbed my keys and reached for Bella's hand. "Come on, let's get this show on the road."

*~*

As we rushed through the halls, I silently prayed that we would be met with little to no resistance. We turned the corner, approaching Bella's locker, where I saw a familiar plump figure. I froze, urging Bella to continue on while I tried to diffuse the situation.

"Edward, I need to see you in my office," Mrs. Cope, the school guidance counselor, said matter-of-factly.

Bella made it to her locker but turned to look at me with curiosity, her brow furrowed as she waited for the exchange.

_I can handle this. Mrs. Cope loves me. I just need to keep my cool._

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

She stood in the middle of the hall, her arms folded firmly across her chest with a sense of authority. "Just follow me, please."

"Oh, why not," I said lightheartedly as I took one last look at Bella.

I followed her into her a tiny room at the end of a row of offices. As I took a seat in the dull beige chair, she closed the door behind me and made her way behind the desk. She sat down and looked over the contents of a manila folder before letting out a sigh and raising her eyes to meet mine.

"Mr. Cullen, it seems that graduation day is fast approaching. In fact, it's a week away. I thought we could take a few moments and discuss your plans for the future."

"With all due respect, didn't we already go over this at the beginning of the year?"

"Well, yes we did. However, I spoke with your mother last week, and it seems as if your situation has changed."

"Situation?" I asked, feigning ignorance as I silently prayed for her not to go where I thought she might be going.

"She told me what has been going on with your father, and I'm very sorry to hear that things have gotten so out of control."

I shrugged, attempting to downplay things. "Really, it's fine. My mom tends to exaggerate." Her face confirmed that she wasn't really buying into my performance, but at least I'd tried.

"There's something else, too. It seems that you have become quite attached to that young lady I just saw you with—a junior, I believe. Is that correct?"

_Way to cut to the chase, lady._

"What does Bella have to do with me graduating?" I asked a bit defensively, my patience starting to wear thin.

"You tell me. How serious is your relationship with her?"

_Tell her? Screw that! This woman has some nerve._

"With all due respect, I don't really feel the need to discuss that with you."

"Oh, I see. Nonetheless, your plan a few months ago was to take the next year off, work on your music in New York, and then start college the following year. Is that still a possibility for you?"

_Funny, I ask myself that question daily._

I picked up a glass paperweight in the form of an apple off her desk and began fidgeting with it. "I suppose anything is possible."

"Mr. Cullen, I'm only trying to understand what your plans are."

"Well, I plan to live my life."

Now, _her _patience was running out. "Okay, well, unless you meet some untimely demise, that shouldn't be much of a problem. Honestly, I'm not trying to pry, but it is part of my job to help all of you seniors plan for your future. Perhaps we should move on. What colleges do you have in mind?"

I was about to lose my shit altogether. "Look, I was making plans, and then life happened. Now, I'm living that life. That's all I know right now. I'm sorry if that's not what you want to hear, but that's all I have so far."

She begrudgingly closed the folder on her desk and stood to dismiss me. "You are an exceptional student. Mr. Cullen. Beneath that tough exterior, I think you are also an exceptional person. Please think about what I've said and let me know if there is ever anything I can do to help."

"So, can I go then?"

"Yes, you may go."

I jumped out of my chair and headed for the door. "Umm, thanks," I said as I exited the room. Instead of going to class, I found myself gravitating to the back entrance of the building. Mrs. Cope's intrusion into my personal life was bad enough, but my mother's betrayal was inexcusable.

I slipped out the doors unnoticed and made my way towards the Volvo. I was in desperate need of a cigarette and hoped I could manage one without getting caught.

I climbed inside and put the key in the ignition, turning it just enough to start the stereo. Leaning back into the seat, I put in a Metallica CD and waited for the music to carry me away. As the gentle melody of "Nothing Else Matters"filled the car, I placed a cigarette between my lips and breathed deeply as the fire ignited the end.

Why couldn't everyone just let me be? I wasn't stupid. I realized that I needed to figure some shit out. But for the first time in my life, I was actually happy, and I really didn't need anyone messing that up for me. So what if I decided to stick around town for a while. Whose business was it anyway? I could stay put until Bella finished school, play the Seattle scene on the weekends, and then we could go to college together.

_There. Problem solved._

It wasn't a perfect solution, but it would have to do. My mom wouldn't like it, but I wasn't too pleased with some of her choices either. She would have to understand. Bella was my life now, and I wasn't about to let anything come between us.

I leaned back in the seat, closed my eyes, and let my thoughts drift away. I reminisced about our incredible morning and eventually let myself imagine our future. I could see us living in a loft in Greenwich Village, Bella immersed in her writing and me in my music. I could see us grabbing coffee between classes by day and making love all night.

I lost track of the time while sitting in my car, and I made my appearance in the cafeteria a little later than usual. As soon as I walked through the doors, Bella was out of her seat and running towards me. Before I could even blink, she had wrapped her arms around and was pulling me into a tight hug.

"There you are!" she cried. "I was getting worried. Tell me, what happened this morning?"

I looked down at her worried expression and gave her a weak smile. "It's nothing important. We'll talk later."

"Okay, but I'm going to hold you to that," she teased.

I nodded and let Bella lead me by the hand to our table. Everyone was there, eating and actively engaging in conversation. I pulled out Bella's chair for her and then took my usual seat at her side.

"Well, well, well," Emmett called out with a mouthful of food. "If it isn't our little lost Eddie. You're just in time, actually."

I scanned the table, taking in everyone's waiting stares. "In time for _what_?"

"We're just going over the finer details for Rosalie's big bash. It's gonna be so awesome!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and jumped into the conversation. "It _will_ be amazing, but only if your brother comes through with the keg."

"No worries, babe, it's already taken care of. I'm going with him to pick it up Saturday morning. He even chipped in a few bucks on it."

"Oh my God, really?" Alice squealed. "How did you manage that?"

"Easy. I just had to agree to let him invite a few friends of his own."

_That could be a problem._

I'd been to more than one party involving his brother's friends. College kids were great, but they partied hard. Not to mention the fact that Lauren Mallory was one of them. That girl was forever throwing herself at me. She wasn't unattractive, but she had been with practically every guy in the state. I had made the mistake of letting her give me a blowjob last summer, and I could only hope she had moved on since then.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of Jasper's raised voice. "Edward! Hey, Edward?"

"You don't have to yell, you know. I'm right here."

Jasper laughed. "No, I don't know where you were just now, but I was asking you if this should be a goodbye party as well?"

Bella looked over at me expectantly, but I avoided eye contact. "I'll still be around for a bit."

I gave him a look that warned him not to push me, so he let it go. The rest of the lunch hour was spent listening to the girls go over the small details of the party that no one really cared about, such as balloons and chips. As far as the rest of us were concerned, we had the beer already, and that was all that mattered.

*~*

After school, I found myself lost in Bella's arms on my bed, naked and happy from our afternoon tryst. I had come to the conclusion that we were both part rabbit, as neither of us could seem to keep our clothes on since the floodgate had been opened. Not that I was complaining or anything. As the saying goes, 'practice makes perfect,' and we were determined to master the sport.

Bella's soft fingers began tracing circles around my belly button. "Edward, what did you mean earlier about being around for a while?"

"I meant exactly what I said," I replied, mesmerized as I watched her fingers go around in circles. I'm going to be staying in town for now."

Suddenly, she stopped, and her face met mine in a questioning glance. "Oh?"

"What? Were you hoping I would leave?"

"No, I just…" She looked away.

"What is it, Bella?"

She sighed and laid her head against my chest. "I'm torn here. Part of me can't bear the thought of you leaving, but the other part of me feels guilty for making you stay."

"No one's making me do anything. I'm a selfish creature by nature, and I'm happy when I'm with you. Why should I go searching for something that I already have right here?"

"But what about your music?"

"What about it? I can make music anywhere. There are plenty of clubs in Port Angeles and Seattle that I can play at. Who knows? I might even find a good band to get into."

"What about Jasper and Emmett?"

"Don't get me wrong, they're my best friends, and I love playing with them. However, I need a serious band if I'm ever going to make it. Neither of them have the desire to go all the way with it. This is my dream, not theirs. I would only be holding them back if I tried to take them with me."

"I guess I can understand that."

"New subject, please," I begged, planting a few kisses against her throat for persuasion.

She looked deep in thought for a moment, before finally asking, "Are you nervous about graduation?"

_She is determined to talk about everything I don't want to talk about today._

"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought."

She seemed a little taken back by my answer. "Why not?"

I really didn't want to have this conversation either, so I decided to bait her with my charm. "Well, I've kind of been distracted lately by this sexy brunette."

Bella rolled her eyes in annoyance, but I could tell by her grin that she was eating it up.

"Is that all you think about?" she asked.

"I'm very easily distracted," I replied as my hand traveled to her left nipple, rolling it between my fingertips and then pinching it lightly. "Especially when she's lying naked in my bed all the time."

A low moan escaped her lips. "What about when I'm not?" she breathed.

"Shhh. Don't say things like that. In my mind, you always are. Well, unless you're naked in my shower, or naked in my car, and sometimes I picture you naked in—"

She slapped me playfully on my arm. "You are so bad, Edward Cullen."

I grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Yeah, but you love me."

"Yes, I do love you, but graduation is next week!"

"Can we talk about something else please?"

She shook her head. "Nope, you already vetoed the conversation a few minutes ago."

I grinned mischievously. "Fine, then we won't talk at all."

With that, I rolled her onto her back, and we resumed our _practice_ routine until it was time to take her back home.

* * *

**So, did you have a nosy guidance counselor like Mrs. Cope? I had one, but he was more of a pervert. He had the nerve to hit on me at a bar shortly after graduation. I told him he sucked at his job, otherwise I wouldn't be drinking at a bar with a fake i.d. *lol***

**A/N: I'm starting another full semester at college. Please don't hate me if I slack for the first couple of weeks. It will take some adjustment, but the story will continue!**


	20. Graduation Day

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters.**

**Special thanks to Lisa89 & Duskwatcher, along with Project Team Beta, for all the mad beta skills on this one!**

**I co-wrote an outtake with Duskwatcher for Tainted Love the other day, if you guys are interested. It's called Charlie's Story, and it gives us some background on how he came to be the way that he is concerning religion, relationships, ect.**

**http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5333000/1/Tainted_Love_Charlies_Story**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

**EPOV**

Graduation day came before I knew it. I supposed I was ready for it. I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment. The idea of not being forced to get up and go to class each day seemed rather promising as well. Still, there was a part of me that felt like as if I was upsetting the natural order of things by graduating early. It had always seemed like a good idea, but now that the moment was here, I wasn't so sure. However, I seemed to be setting things right with my decision to stick around for a while. At least, Bella and Esme had seemed pretty happy about it. Jasper and Alice had kind of gotten on my case about my decision, but they were just looking out for my best interests. Rosalie and Emmett preferred to stay out of my business; they had said that it was my life and I could do whatever I wanted with it.

As I prepared to walk across the stage, I looked out at the smiling faces in the crowd. Everyone was there: Mom, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Alice. Most importantly, Bella _and _her father were there, cheering me on. My own father hadn't bothered to make an appearance, and yet there was Charlie, snapping my picture as I shook the principal's hand. I knew he gave Bella a hard time about some things, especially where music was concerned, but I couldn't help but feel a little envious of her.

My name was called, and I made the long trek to receive my diploma, shaking hands with Mr. Arnold in the process. It only took a few seconds, and then I found myself back in my seat and waiting for all my classmates' names to be called. It seemed to take forever, but finally we were all cheering and tossing our caps into the air. I pushed my way through the crowd, not even bothering to look for my cap, and set off to find Bella.

Apparently, she had the same idea, because she came running up to me the moment I stepped out of the crowd.

"Oh, Edward, I'm so proud of you!" she squealed as she crashed against my chest, knocking the wind out of me.

I chuckled."Hey, you!"

She reached up and gave me a much-needed kiss. "I love you so much!"

"Mmmm," I moaned against her mouth, taking her bottom lip between mine. She responded by parting her lips so that my tongue could reach out to hers.

The kiss quickly became heated, and I had to break away. "Bella, I, uh, love you too, but we need to pace ourselves. We'll have plenty of time–"

"Later! Yes, I know." She brought her lips to my ear and whispered suggestively, "In fact, I've got a special gift for you _later_."

My pants were suddenly not so comfortable, and I tried to think of a way to adjust myself with this gown on. Before I could figure it out, the other woman in my life attacked me, ultimately eliminating the problem with her mere presence.

Bella stepped to my side to avoid being trampled by my weeping mother. "Edward! Sweetie, I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed as she pulled me into a hug.

"Thanks, Mom," I replied sincerely as I hugged her back. "I'm really glad you came."

She pulled back to face me. "Well, of course I came! I wouldn't miss this for the world. I'm so sorry your father didn't make it. I thought for sure he would come."

I saw Charlie coming over to join us and managed a weak smile. "It's okay, Mom. Really, it is. We'll talk about it later."

"Congratulations," Charlie said as he reached out and shook my hand.

"Thank you, sir. I'm so pleased you were able to come today."

"Of course! It's an important day," he replied, shaking my hand as he turned to address my mom. "And you must be Mrs. Cullen."

She gave him a warm smile and extended her hand. "Please, call me Esme."

"Charles Swan," he replied, shaking her hand. "But everyone calls me Charlie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlie."

He began looking around expectantly. "So, where's Mr. Cullen?"

My mom caught my eye, and I realized that I hadn't even thought about how I would answer that if it ever came up. Normally, I would just tell the truth, but the situation with Charlie was delicate.

"His dad's away on important business," Bella explained quickly.

_Yet another reason why I love her so much._

"Yeah, um, unfortunately it couldn't be helped," I added. "Last minute emergency thing."

Esme's eyes met mine, but luckily, she didn't say anything to contradict Bella's story.

"Well, that's a darn shame, son. I know he would have wanted to be here to see this. I suppose we'll just have to take lots of pictures for him."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Esme cooed as she pulled her digital camera out of her purse.

About that time, the guys made their way over to our little circle. Emmett, being his usual loveable but slightly obnoxious self, slapped my back as hard as he could and exclaimed, "Alright, Edward! Way to go! Just don't wear yourself out before tonight!"

I caught Jasper's eye and motioned towards Bella's dad, hoping he would get the message. Luckily, he did.

"Yeah, Eddie, it wouldn't be _boy's night out_ without you there! Especially since you are the man of honor tonight."

"Hey, I remember those days," Charlie mused. "Just have fun and be careful."

"Don't worry, sir," Emmett added. "We won't create too much chaos tonight. We wouldn't want to corrupt our Eddie."

We stood around and chatted for a little while, taking plenty of photos while occasionally being interrupted by my classmates as they came by to exchange congratulations. My mom invited Bella and Charlie to go eat with us, but Bella was quick to refuse, stating that she had pack for her sleepover with the girls.

_Oh yeah! She was having a sleepover alright…_

Once all of the fanfare was over with, we said our goodbyes, and I left with my mom and had a nice dinner.

Throughout the meal, my mom made only small talk, thankfully avoiding sensitive subjects like the festivities to come. I knew her well enough to know that she had seen right through our white lies earlier. However, she did bring up the subject of Charlie.

"Edward, I don't understand why you and Bella felt the need to lie to Charlie today."

I sighed. "It's really complicated, Mom. Bella's dad is—well he's a bit old-fashioned about things."

"Isn't that all the more reason to tell him the truth?"

"And what exactly should we say?" I spat at her. "Hey, my dad's an out-of-control alcoholic who got Bella drunk to try and get me laid? Yeah, I'm sure that would have gone over real well."

"Okay, well, I guess you're right. Still, I don't feel right about deception."

"Trust me, it's the best way."

She let the subject drop after that, and we went back to lighter topics. She reminisced over my school years, reminding me of school plays and such, until we were finished eating.

When we arrived back at the house, she turned to me with a serious look on her face, and I began to fear the worst. However, what came out of her mouth was the last thing I'd been expecting.

"Edward, where on earth is your hat?"

"What hat?"

"Don't act coy with me. Your graduation cap?"

"Oh, that hat." I chuckled, remembering how I'd simply abandoned it before. "Does it matter? I mean, it's not like I'm ever going to wear it again."

She just shook her head and laughed. "I suppose you're right."

I had important matters to attend to that afternoon so, as soon as we were home, I walked her into the house and quickly excused myself to my room to prepare for tonight. I hurriedly changed clothes, told my mom goodbye, and raced towards Emmett's house.

When I pulled into his driveway, I found Emmett and his older brother Felix waiting patiently by Emmett's jeep. I quickly shut off the engine and made my way over to them.

"Felix! What's up? I haven't seen you in a while!"

"Hey, Edward," he replied as he punched me lightly in the arm. "Good to see you, too. Congrats on graduating."

"Thanks, man. So how's life been treating you?"

"Same shit, different day. I guess I can't complain."

Emmett cleared his throat rather loudly and stepped between us. "As much as I hate to interrupt this happy little reunion, I believe we have a keg to deliver."

His statement caught me by surprise. "No shit? You guys got it already?"

Emmett laughed at my surprise. "Dude, we picked this bad boy up first thing this morning. Check it out." He motioned to the back of the jeep.

I peeked through the back window, and sure enough, there was a beautiful, shiny silver keg sitting in the back. "Looks good. What kind is it?"

"It's Newcastle," Felix announced, obviously proud of his selection. "Not too dark and not too light."

I had to hand it to him; the man knew his beer.

"Alright, well what do you two need me to do?"

"Not too much, Eddie." Emmett pulled out his keys. "Just help us get this thing into Rosie's house and we're good."

"Cool. Well, let's get this show on the road!"

*~*

We arrived at Rosalie's house within minutes, Jasper pulling in right behind us. I rushed out of the jeep when I noticed Bella getting out of Jasper's truck. I was planning to scoop her up into my arms, but the large overstuffed garment bag she held in her hands got in the way.

"Hey," she greeted me, managing a half-hug despite the bag. "How was dinner?"

"Typical Mom stuff. Nothing too heavy. I'm glad to see Charlie hasn't changed his opinion of me."

She took my hand and laced her fingers between mine. "I think you're the son he always wanted, or something."

"I don't know about all that, but he does seem to like me, so I guess that's good."

She peeked up at me through her lashes. "It sure doesn't hurt."

"Hey, what's with the bag?"

"Oh, nothing," she answered cryptically. "Just party favors."

Alice climbed out behind Bella, carrying several mysterious cases in her hand.

"Seriously, what are you guys up to?"

"Don't bother, man," Jasper said as he grabbed several duffle bags out of the back of the truck. "I've tried everything, and I can't get them to even give me a hint."

"Well, it looks like you guys are moving in. You've got everything here but the kitchen sink!"

"Jasper, sweetie, would you grab the sink out of the back?" Alice teased. "Just kidding. I swear, you guys have some wild imaginations!"

About that time, the door opened and Rosalie's head popped out. "Hey, girls! You bring the stuff?"

"Yeah, Rose, we got it all," Bella yelled back. She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and then turned to Alice. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"After you, dear," Alice replied.

"What about my special surprise?" I pleaded as she began to walk away from me.

"Later," she said with a wink.

Emmett's raucous laughter pulled me out of daze. "Guys, snap out of it! You know how our women are about their clothes. They're just getting ready for the party. Rosalie said something about wanting their outfits to be a surprise, but that's all."

"Your women may be all about their clothes, but Bella's not."

Emmett shook his head. "Nah, man, she's one of them now, so you'd better get used to it."

Finally, Felix emerged from the jeep and joined our circle. "Um, yeah, so if you guys are just about done gabbing about clothes, can you give me a hand with this keg?"

*~*

Around a quarter to eight, the keg was in place, iced, and ready to go. The cups were set out, and all we needed was for our guests to arrive. Felix had left to go meet up with his college friends, and we were more than a little anxious to get things going. Actually, Emmett, Jasper, and I were technically already partying, as we had designated ourselves to check the temperature of the beer every few minutes.

Mike Newton arrived first, with the ever-annoying Jessica Stanley as his date for the evening. A few minutes later, Tyler Crowley arrived with some guy I vaguely recognized named Eric, and a shy girl named Angela. The cars continued to flood into the driveway, and by eight thirty, the party was in full swing.

However, the girls had yet to make their appearance, and I was growing incredibly impatient. How in the hell was I supposed to enjoy myself without Bella? Not to mention the pitiful puppy-dog face Jasper kept making at the staircase every few minutes. I decided to give them a few more minutes, and then I was going up after them.

Apparently, no intervention was going to be necessary. All of a sudden, the lights in living room dimmed, and I noticed that everyone had stopped dancing and was staring up at the staircase. I immediately looked up to the stairs to see what everyone was staring at.

_For the love of all things holy!_

There were no words to describe the vision before me as the girls made their decent. It was every fantasy I had ever had walking towards me. Actually, the sight of Bella put all of my fantasies to shame.

_Catholic school uniform. Pigtails. God, help me!_

I finally realized what they had been up to all afternoon. They had taken Bella's old school uniforms and altered them into the most amazing, sex goddess attire ever created. I stood there, ready to bow to her every whim, as I watched her make her way down the stairs.

My eyes roamed over her thin white blouse, tied just below her chest and unbuttoned enough to reveal a hint of black lace against the swell of her breasts. I lost myself as I watched her short pleated skirt sway back and forth across her thighs, framing her porcelain-white legs that were accentuated by—o_h my God_—black combat boots!

_Did they really wear their skirts that short?_

They continued down the steps slowly and in unison. As much as I wanted to run to her, I was frozen in place. I began to wonder what she had on under her barely-there plaid skirt, and I could have sworn I saw a hint of black.

Emmett ran to the bottom of the staircase and grabbed Rosalie's hand, pulling her towards the makeshift dance floor. Before I knew it, Jasper had also scooped up Alice. Finally, common sense kicked in, and I was able to will my legs to move.

"Hey, you," Bella said seductively as I met her on the bottom step. "How do I look?"

"I, uh, you look…" Although I'd been able to regain my mobility, I was still struggling to form words. Instead, I decided to show her. I grabbed her by her hips and pressed her tightly against me while my mouth eagerly attacked hers.

She moaned into my mouth, causing my pants to become very uncomfortable.

"Bella, I want you. Now." I panted against her lips as I tried to coax her up back upstairs.

She froze and gave me a regretful smile. "Not yet. I just got down here. Can I at least have a beer and maybe dance a little bit first?"

I groaned. "You're killing me here."

"Edward, we have all night. I'm not going anywhere, and neither are you."

"Fine," I huffed, following her over to the keg.

After Bella had managed to chug a couple of beers, which surprised the hell out of me, she pulled me over to the makeshift dance floor in the middle of the living room. The music switched to Marilyn Manson's remake of "Tainted Love," and we began to dance.

Actually, she began to dance. What I was doing was more of simply moving my hips while my hands raked over her body. There was no controlling it. She was just too damn hot in her pleated skirt and combat boots. Besides that, I was too busy trying to keep my cock in my pants for any normal movements.

She turned around and leaned her back against me. I, in turn, started grinding against her and simultaneously sucking at the back of her neck. The next thing I knew, she was sliding her body down mine, and I could wait no longer. I picked her up, threw her over my shoulder, and made a mad dash for the stairs. She laughed, not even bothering to protest this time. There was a round of hoots and hollers as I made my way through the crowd, but I simply ignored them. Someone shoved a bottle of Jim Beam in my hand, and I took it gratefully.

I had never been on the second floor of Rosalie's house before, but I didn't have any trouble finding an empty room. It looked like some kind of library, but it did have an inviting sofa.

_Perfect._

I sat Bella down on her feet and took a swig of the Jim Beam. She giggled and grabbed it out of my hand, turning it up into her mouth.

"My God, Bella, when did you become such a goddess?"

"Hmm, let me think," she teased, placing her finger to her lips in an exaggerated motion. "I guess it was somewhere between the football game and the snow."

I took the bottle from her hands and shook my head, grinning like an idiot. "What am I going to do with you?"

She licked her lips and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Anything you want to."

_Fuck me!_

"I'd like to…" Bella replied in a low, sultry voice.

_Did I say that out loud? Fuck, who cares?_

My hands went to work on her shirt, desperately trying to unfasten the tiny buttons. She moaned and followed my lead, pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it onto the floor. A low growl escaped my throat as my eyes caught sight of the black lacy fabric that came into view. I hated to see it go, but I needed what was underneath it even more. Quickly, I unclasped her bra, tossing it aside into the abyss that held our other garments, and took both of her breasts into my hands. They were firm and warm and the nipples hardened under palms, begging to be sucked.

I squeezed and pulled, groping her like a desperate animal, hoping that I wouldn't hurt her but unable to maintain any form of self-control. Judging from the moans and whimpers coming out of her mouth, I could only assume that she was enjoying it as much as I was.

I hadn't realized that we had been moving across the room; her back suddenly came in contact with the wall, and she laughed and fell to her knees, her mouth grazing my crotch in the process. As she went to work untying my shoes, I decided to help speed up the process and unfastened my pants. I lifted one foot slightly and then the other, while she tossed my shoes to the side. Once they were off, she reached up and jerked my pants down, taking my boxers with them.

"Looks like you're ready to play," she purred as her hands wrapped around my cock, stroking it slow and torturously.

"Bella, I can't—"

"Shhh," she whispered before taking my length into her beautiful mouth.

At this rate, I knew I wasn't going to last long, and I had other plans in mind for her. "Bella, stop!" I called out, startling her enough to cause her to cease her movements.

She looked up at me with a hurt expression, and I knew right way that she had misunderstood my intentions.

"Don't get me wrong. That feels so good," I reassured her as I pulled her to her feet. "However, I had something else in mind."

She gave me a smoldering look through her lashes. "What do you want me to do?"

I motioned to the couch. "Over there."

She grinned and sauntered over to the sofa, coming to a stop behind it, awaiting further instruction.

I stood there for a moment, enjoying the view, before finally making my way over to her as I pulled out the condom that I had conveniently stashed in my back pocket earlier in the evening. She watched as I ripped open the package and rolled its contents down my length, and her hands moved to the zipper at the back of her skirt.

I grabbed her wrist and shook my head. "Leave it!"

She obeyed without question, moving her hands to my bare chest. I planted a fiery kiss on her lips, my tongue surely almost choking her. My hands caressed her arms and then ran along the sides of her ribcage, caressing the sides of her breasts, my hands finally landing once again on her hips.

I then gripped her hips and spun her around, bending her over the back of the couch as my hands reached under her skirt. My hand encountered a thin piece of lace, and I immediately began rubbing circles against the fabric before getting impatient and pulling it down with force, ripping it in the process. All barriers out of the way, I positioned myself behind her, pulling her body hard against mine as my fingers made their way to her sweet center.

I inserted one finger, causing her to gasp and grab hold of the back cushions for support.

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's ready," I breathed against her ear as her juices coated my hand. She moaned and I inserted a second finger, pumping faster and harder as I went.

"Edward, please," she begged as I worked her intensely.

I decided to tease her a bit more. "Yes, sweetheart? Was there something else you wanted?"

"Damn it, Edward, you know what I want!" she hissed as I inserted a third finger.

"Say it, then! Tell me what you want and I'll let you have it!" I spread her legs a little more with my own, pulled up her skirt, and positioned my dick at her entrance.

"Oh God," she panted. "Fine then. I want you fuck me. Hard!"

_I can't believe she actually said that! _

"Fuck!" I cried out as I thrust myself into her dripping core. If she kept saying things like that, I wouldn't last more than a couple of minutes. "Don't stop saying my name. Ever!" I demanded. It felt so good being inside her; she was so hot and wet that there was no way I could ever get enough.

"Edward! More!" she pleaded as I pounded into her rigorously.

I placed my thumb against her center and began tracing circles around her clit. "Come for me Bella," I commanded, burying myself deeper inside of her.

It wasn't long before I felt her walls begin to clamp down around me as she tumbled over the edge.

"Edward! Oh God, Edward," she cried, over and over as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. Hearing my name like that was all the stimulation I needed, and I found myself joining her on the journey into ecstasy.

"Bella, Bella, Bella!" I panted into her neck as my eyes rolled into the back of my head.

I think I may have actually lost consciousness for a minute, because the next thing I knew, I had collapsed on top of her against the back of the sofa.

_This must be what heaven feels like._

I was completely lost in the feeling of her body pressed up against mine when all of a sudden, a loud pounding against the door interrupted our post-coital bliss.

_Not now!_

Bella gasped, and I yelled, "Go away!" annoyed that someone was trying to get into a room that was so obviously already occupied. It wasn't like there weren't a ton of extra rooms in this house. Most of them probably even had beds. This was our moment, perhaps the greatest single moment of our relationship, and I'd be damned if I was going to let some drunken idiots ruin it.

"Edward? Is that you?" Emmett's voice yelled out from the other side of the door.

_What the hell does he want?_

"Yeah, um, Emmett? Now is not a good time!" I yelled back, hoping he'd get the point.

"Sorry, man, but you need to get dressed and get out here right away!"

"Emmett, what the fuck?"

"Just get out here!"

I looked at Bella and mouthed, "Sorry."

Jumping to my feet, I reached for my jeans, pulling them on while Bella picked up the pieces of her underwear and searched the floor for her shirt.

"This better be good," I mumbled as I threw my shirt over my head.

As soon as we were decent, I opened the door to a very disgruntled-looking Emmett.

"What is it?" I snapped, my eyes threatening to burn a hole through his head for interrupting us.

He threw his hands up in surrender. "Dude, we've got problems."

"Yeah. Again, what?" I demanded.

"Your dad's here," he grumbled, ignoring my angered expression, "with Lauren."

_Shit._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry to leave you guys with a cliffy, but this chapter kind of got away from me! I'll have the next installment ready to go ASAP!**

**In the meantime, you guys should seriously check out Duskwatcher's new fic, A Litany at Dusk. It's hauntingly beautiful, and Darkward at his best! **

http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5312635/1/A_Litany_at_Dusk


	21. Police Officers and Parents

**I do not own, although I believe I have purchased enough merchandise to be considered a stockholder**

**Special thanks to Duskwatcher, Lisa89, and PTB for all of your help on this chapter!**

* * *

As soon as we were decent, I opened the door to a very disgruntled-looking Emmett.

"What is it?" I snapped, my eyes threatening to burn a hole through his head for interrupting us.

He threw his hands up in surrender. "Dude, we've got problems."

"Yeah. Again, what?" I demanded.

"Your dad's here," he grumbled, ignoring my angered expression, "with Lauren."

_Shit._

**EPOV**

I rushed past Emmett and went straight for the stairs. I could barely make out the sounds of people behind me, yelling something or other, but I tuned it out. Instead, I focused on one thing and one thing only: finding Carlisle.

I looked over the railing, scanning the crowd until I finally spotted his golden hair. It was true. There was Carlisle, drink in hand, bumping and grinding against Felix's promiscuous friend, Lauren Mallory. I felt a sudden ball of fury building up in my stomach as I watched them dance. I was so disgusted with him that I could barely think straight. This night was supposed to have been for Bella and me, but I knew if I didn't do something I would explode—possibly at the wrong person.

My mind made up, I wasted no time in getting downstairs and quickly pushing my way through the crowd. I came up right behind them and tapped my dad on the shoulder.

He turned his head slightly, not really looking at me, and said in an amused voice, "Sorry, but this one's taken."

_You've got to be kidding me._ "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Still dancing, they turned to face me. Lauren seemed somewhat surprised by the outburst but totally misunderstood my intention.

"Oh, Eddie," she giggled, get over yourself. You already had your turn."

I stared at her incredulously as Carlisle turned around at the sound of my name. Our eyes met, and he grinned at me in recognition.

"I'm sorry, is she a friend of yours?" he said with a hint of sarcasm.

I glared at him, disgust overwhelming me.

"Do you two know each other?" Lauren asked, still oblivious to the situation.

"I guess you could say that," I replied through clenched teeth. "I'll ask you again. What are you doing here, _Dad_?"

Lauren turned to Carlisle, completely horrified as reality dawned on her. "Oh my God! Are you really his father?"

"Yes, but don't worry, my dear," Carlisle said with obvious amusement as he grabbed her ass. "At least you're keeping it in the family."

"Hey, that's not very nice," she whined, before her eyes came to rest on someone coming up behind me. "Aw, Eddie, is this your girlfriend?"

I turned around to find a very disheveled-looking Bella approaching my side. Before I could say anything, my dad's obnoxious laughter filled the air.

"Well, look what we have here," he said smugly as she came to a stop beside me. "It looks like someone's been having a good time."

I grabbed his arm that held the cup of beer, knocking it out of his hand and onto the floor. "You leave Bella out of this, you son of a bitch!"

"My, my," he teased, his eyes trailing up and down Bella's scantily clad body. "No need to bring your grandmother into this. I was simply admiring your graduation present."

I clenched my fists in fury. "I think you need to leave. Now!"

"What? And miss out on all the fun? I don't think so. The party's just getting started."

"You have no right to show up here like this."

Carlisle halted his movements and released Lauren. "Edward, I was invited here by this lovely young lady. I assure you, I had no idea you and I were going to run into each other. But since we're here, why don't you calm down and we can all get a drink? I seem to have misplaced mine."

I shook my head. "Not going to happen."

He looked over at Bella and winked. "You're probably right. It looks like Bella's already had plenty."

"I already told you to leave her out of this!" I growled. I could feel my face becoming red with anger.

"You're just mad because I was right. I told you all she needed was a little alcohol."

I could feel my blood start to boil as the anger seethed within me. Before my mind could register my actions, I reared back and punched him square in the jaw. "You really shouldn't have said that!"

He stumbled back into Lauren, and they both landed on the floor. Blood began to trickle from the side of his lip as he reached up his hand to assess the damage.

"I suggest you stay down," I snarled as he struggled to his feet.

"I'm about tired of your games," he retorted, coming to a stop in front of my face. Lauren huffed behind us as she too came to stand.

"Fine, but I warned you." I pulled my arm back and unceremoniously punched him in the gut this time. He doubled over, clutching his stomach, and before I could react, Lauren sprang into action.

"Fuck you, Edward, that happens to be my date!" Lauren yelled as she jumped onto my back and started clawing at my face with vengeance.

"Fuck you, bitch!" I yelled back as she savagely attacked my cheeks.

At the same time, Bella shouted, "Get the hell off my boyfriend!"

Several things happened at this point, but it all went by in a blur. I was attempting to pry psycho-bitch off my back when Carlisle retaliated and punched me in the eye. Bella, being the loyal girlfriend that she was, decided to help me by taking on Lauren, causing even more chaos. Other people soon joined in, but I couldn't really tell who exactly; I was focused solely on Carlisle.

I got in a few more good licks at Carlisle, and he landed a couple of his own. At one point, he managed to punch me right on my jaw, but only because I was distracted by two other guys who stumbled against us. By the time I recovered from the heavy blow, screams and shouts were erupting all around us, and people began to flee as the fight turned into somewhat of a riot.

All of a sudden, an incredible force pulled me away from Carlisle and pinned me to the floor.

"Hands behind your back," A voice shouted above me. "Now!"

I struggled to escape the unknown captor to no avail. Suddenly, I felt the cold, hard steel against my wrists, and I knew it was all over. Reality kicked in, and I realized what was happening.

_Someone called the cops._

As two burly patrol officers pulled me out of the house, I scanned the room desperately, searching for Bella. To my relief, I didn't see her or Lauren anywhere.

_She must have gotten away._

They escorted me down the walkway, coming to a stop beside a cruiser with flashing lights. As they pushed me into the car, I saw my dad in a similar predicament at the car in front of me. The sight of him being arrested brought me some sense of relief, and a grin crept over my bloody face. My happiness was short-lived, though, as I heard a familiar voice ring clear through all the commotion.

"Edward!"

"Bella?" I yelled back, but it was muffled by the door of the cruiser being slammed shut. I pressed my face against the glass, frantically looking for my love, when I saw a flash of auburn hair being carried away by a very intimidating-looking female officer. My heart sank as I let the sight of her appearance really sink in. She had a swollen eye, and her clothes were ripped to shreds. There was absolutely no hope of hiding this one from Charlie.

I leaned my head to rest against the back of the seat and closed my eyes. We were both royally screwed.

* * *

When we got to the police station, Bella, Emmett, and I were not booked into regular cells like the others. We were instead left sitting in chairs in some kind of office space that was occupied by a couple of desks while they booked Carlisle, Lauren, and two athletic-looking college guys whose names I didn't know.

Emmett spoke up first. "Okay, guys, they're going to try and interrogate us. Remember, you don't have to say anything, and I mean anything, without a lawyer. "

"Em, shut the hell up!" I said rudely. "We're not even being arrested. If they ask us anything, it'll just be for our parent's telephone number so that they can call them and have someone pick us up. What are you doing here, anyway?"

He shook his head. "Hey, man, don't take it out on me. I got sucked into your little fight when those other two assholes decided to join in the fun."

I nodded absently as I looked over at Bella, waiting for her to raise her head and look at me. "What happened?"

"Well, those two guys started trying to break shit, so of course Rosalie tried to stop them."

"Of course," I muttered, encouraging him to continue his story.

"Well, one of them shoved the other, and he fell into Rosalie, knocking her to the floor. A it was on!"

I knew exactly where he was coming from. I'd do anything to protect Bella, even if she wouldn't look at me right now. I'd give anything to reach out and take her in my arms, tell her everything was going to be okay, but the cuffs wouldn't allow it.

Before Emmett or I could say anything further, Bella started to sob. "My dad—I can't even imagine how…what…this just can't be happening."

"Shh. Bella, baby, look at me," I urged as her body began to tremble. She raised her head slightly, and I was able to see just how swollen her eye had become. "It's okay, love. Your father is going to forgive you."

"No, he won't," she cried, turning her head in an attempt to wipe her nose on her shoulder. "He's probably just freaking out!"

"Damn, girl!" Emmett chuckled, obviously not as shaken by our situation as Bella and me. "You're looking kind of rough!"

"You're not helping!" I spat at him, shutting him up very quickly.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Bella."

"Hey, party animals!" an amused voice greeted us as the doors opened. I looked over to see Felix walking towards us, followed by a man in uniform.

"You know what to do, McCarthy," the officer addressed Emmett as he motioned for him to stand.

"Dude!" Emmett yelled, jumping to his feet with excitement. "How did you get here so fast?"

Felix laughed. "Fast? I was at the party, too! Remember? I would have been here sooner, but I had to arrange Lauren's bail for her."

"Should've let that bitch rot in her cell," I muttered under my breath.

"So, what did you guys get me with?" Emmett asked the officer cheerfully as the he removed his cuffs.

The officer shook his head. "Just go home," he said before shaking his head and exiting the room.

"Oh, that," Felix said nonchalantly. "Rosalie gave a statement that you were only stopping her attackers and defending her home, so they only got you down for underage drinking, bro!"

I rolled my eyes. "So, that's it? You're free to go? Just like that?"

Felix put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. "Sorry, man. Normally, a parent would have to come and get you. However, these guys know us well enough that they'll settle for a simple phone call from her."

I sighed in defeat as they exited the room. Bella was still sniffling, but at least it was just us now.

"Bella, I want you to—"

"Bella!" yelled a very angry, very red-faced Charlie as he burst through the doors as if the devil was on his heels. He looked at her, then at me, then back at her. "Oh my God! What is going on here?"

"Dad, I…" She was unable to finish her sentence as the sobs took control once again.

He looked at me with a face full of contempt. "You and I are going to have a little talk!"

"Mr. Swan, I take full responsibility for tonight's events."

"Darn right you do," he spat before turning his attention solely to his daughter. "What in the world happened to you, Bella?"

She shook her head, unable to speak as an officer came to stand beside her, motioning for her to stand so that she could remove her cuffs.

Bella complied and finally raised her head to meet her father's gaze.

He gasped as he took in her appearance. "Bella, what in God's name are you wearing? Is that your old school uniform? Or at least, what's left of it?"

"Yes, Dad," Bella whispered, dropping her head once again to the ground.

"Okay, Mr. Swan, your daughter is free to go," the officer said as he motioned to the door.

Charlie lingered in front of my chair, clenching his fists while he looked back and forth between Bella and me. I knew I should say something to him. However, I also knew that there was nothing I could say to ease the shock of seeing your only daughter drunk, beaten, and wearing a very provocative outfit. In the end, I said the only thing I could think of.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Swan."

He got right in my face and addressed me. "Edward, you had better be glad we are surrounded by police officers right now. Otherwise, I'd rip you to pieces."

Before I could respond, he stood and grabbed Bella's arm. "Come on, Bella. Let's go!"

I stood as he ushered her to the door, feeling frantic that I might not get to see her for a while.

"Bella!" I called out to her. She turned her head back to me, and the site of her tear-stained face ripped he apart."Bella, I love you!"

The doors closed behind them, and she was gone. There was nothing I could do but wait for my mother to come and pick me up.

So, that was what I did. I waited and waited until finally she came.

"Mom! What took you so long?" I asked as she strolled casually into the room, chatting up a storm with a female officer who escorted her in.

"Stand up, please," the woman said with a hint of pity in her voice.

"Honey, I'm sorry," my mother began as the lady officer took out her keys and stepped behind me. "I would have been here sooner, but there were some complications."

I tapped my foot in anticipation of the cuffs being removed from my aching wrists. "What kind of complications?"

She paused, taking a deep breath. "You see, your father—"

"What the hell, Mom!" I yelled, cutting her off. "Please don't tell me you bailed that piece of shit out."

"Edward, honey, it's not that simple."

"Oh yeah?" I threw my hands up in frustration as I followed her through the doors. "And what exactly would you say is so complicated about it?"

"He threatened to press charges," she replied softly as she stared at the floor.

"So what? Let him, if that's what he wants to do."

She shook her head. "Again, it's not that simple. He threatened to file charges against you _and_ Bella."

"Oh," I said, stunned.

"Okay, Mr. Cullen," the officer interrupted. "You are free to go."

"Thank you so much for all of your help," Esme said as she escorted us through the doors.

"That's not a problem, Ma'am. However," she turned and looked at me sternly. "I hope you take a long, hard look at the trouble you caused here tonight. I understand that it was not solely your fault, but you really need to get your temper in check."

I nodded, stunned, as the lady shook her finger in my face. "Okay," I said politely.

"Your mother tells me that you just graduated high school?"

"Yes, that's correct," I muttered, still unable to do anything but agree.

"Well, you need to understand right now that this kind of behavior will lead to arrests, court, fines, and possibly serving time in the future."

"Thank you," I said, reaching my hand out. "I do understand."

She shook our hands and we exited the station. The nightmare was finally over. However, I knew in my heart that the real nightmare was only just beginning.

I followed my mother through the parking lot, trying to assess the damages and long-term effects this incident would bring. Not only did I have my own situation to worry about, but this time Bella and my friends had been sucked into my family drama. As much as I wanted to put all of the blame on Carlisle, a part of me realized that none of this would've happened to them if only I hadn't been a part of their lives.

As we reached the car and climbed into the seats, I began to calculate all of the ways I had corrupted Bella over the past few months. I was responsible for her smoking, having detention, sneaking around, drinking, defiling the auditorium, losing her virginity, and probably a dozen major sins stemming from the party alone. It was enough to make me sick to my stomach. I claimed to love her with all of my heart, and yet I had destroyed her.

Esme backed the car out onto the road and reached out to touch my arm. "Edward, what happened?"

I let out a frustrated sigh and recounted the night's events to my mother. There was nothing I wanted more than to omit the parts concerning Lauren, but I knew that my mother had a right to know about her husband's indiscretions. As much as I wanted to forget this nightmare had ever happened, I knew that it was simply not possible and, for the second time in the last hour, I watched the tears fall down the face of another woman that I love.

By the time I finished going over all of the details that led me to the police station, we were back at my home. I wanted nothing more than to go see Bella, but my car was still at Emmett's house. At this point, the sun was starting to rise, so it was most likely a bad idea anyway. Charlie seemed like a dam that was about to burst, and I knew my presence would only make things worse for them, not to mention the fact that I had never felt less worthy of her. I chose instead to climb into my bed and hope that everything would work itself out tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N:** **Be sure to check out the story outtake I co-wrote with Duskwatcher, Tainted Love: Charlie's Story**

**www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5333000/1/Tainted_Love_Charlies_Story**

**Thank you so much everyone who reads and reviews!**


	22. Facing the Music

**I know it's been major update fail lately, and I apologize for that. I haven't abandoned the story, though, and I'm already working on the next chapter. **

**Special thanks for Lisa89 and SecretlySeverus for cleaning this up for me. Also, special thanks to duskwatcher for simply being awesome!**

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**BPOV**

The house was dead silent. So much so that I could distinctly hear each breath I took. It was the standoff of all standoffs, and it was getting us nowhere. I wasn't entirely sure what he hoped to accomplish by this, so I finally decided to blink first.

"Dad, would you please say something?" I pleaded with Charlie, who was sitting across the kitchen table from me, his arms folded tightly across his chest and an angry scowl on his face. "Anything?" He had been giving me the silent treatment since we'd left the station an hour ago. "I know you're probably upset with me right now, but we really do need to talk about this."

His face contorted into something I could only compare to someone whose dog had just died. "Upset doesn't even begin to describe it," he said with a heavy sigh. "It's not every day I have to pick my daughter up from the police station, looking like a streetwalker who just got worked over by her pimp. Not to mention the fact that you reek of alcohol."

"Dad, I—"

"Don't interrupt me!" he yelled as he opened his arms and slammed his left fist against the surface of the table. "I'm trying to process this!"

I nodded, careful to remain silent while he got it all out. I had never seen him act like this before. Even after I'd been expelled from Saint Mary's, his demeanor had remained calm and controlled. Honestly, I was actually relieved to see him finally showing some emotion, even if it was slightly intimidating.

He shook his head, an anguished look in his eyes. "I never imagined that I could actually feel _ashamed_ of you, but that's exactly what I'm feeling right now."

Granted, it was negative emotion… Still, it was something.

"I don't know what more I can do," he continued, throwing both hands up in the air. "You're just too much like your mother."

"This has nothing to do with her!" I spat back, interrupting him once again. I knew I had screwed up, but I'd be damned if I was going to sit there and let him bring her into this. "My mistakes are just that. They're mine."

He sighed and hung his head. "Bella, your mother had something inside her, a type of vulnerability that left her susceptible to all sorts of evils. You must have some of that inside you as well."

I stared at him incredulously. "Not this again, Dad. Please?"

"I can't turn a blind eye," he said, as if he were speaking to himself rather than to me. "Not this time."

I began to feel really confused. "What are you talking about?"

He looked down at his hands and traced the spot where his wedding ring used to sit. "I've made that mistake one too many times already," he mumbled.

I was completely lost at that point. "What does that mean?"

His hands parted and gripped the edge of the table as he raised his head to face me once again. "It means that you are in serious trouble. It means that things are going to change around here. But most of all, it means that you are grounded indefinitely!"

Despite the pounding headache that was torturing me, I screamed "Indefinitely? I'm almost an adult, you know!"

"Almost," he stated calmly.

I pushed my chair back from the table. "Yeah, almost, which means you need to start treating me like one!"

His face grew red with fury. "Maybe I will…once you start acting like one!" he yelled back at me.

I jumped out of my chair and leaned forward on the table. "How am I supposed to do that when you won't let me? You don't even let me drive, for Christ sakes!"

He stood from his chair and matched my movements. "Bella! Watch your mouth!"

"I can't talk to you right now," I said as I stormed out of the kitchen. "I'm going to my room."

"Fine, you do that," he called behind me. "And while you're at it, put some appropriate clothes on!"

He didn't have to tell me twice. I wasn't exactly _proud_ of my appearance at the moment. I'd allowed Alice to dress me this way as a present for Edward, but it wasn't something I would ever have considered wearing out in public. The fact that my dad and the entire Forks police force had seen me in this outfit was too humiliating for me to even try to process.

I made my way to my room, grabbed some sweats and a shirt out of my dresser, and went straight to the bathroom to clean up. This was so not going well. I known it would be bad, and something told me it was only going to get worse. The first wave was over, but Charlie was not going to simply let this go. I could only hope things were going better for Edward.

*~*

I must have fallen asleep after my shower, because the next thing I knew, I was lying in my bed, feeling like I'd been hit by a train. The only thing I could take comfort in was the fact that Lauren probably looked just as bad. Not that it in any way justified my actions, but at least I'd held my own.

I buried my face in my pillows and wondered how Edward was doing. He hadn't seemed to be handling things too well at the station, and I worried that Carlisle may have finally pushed him over the edge. There was only one way to find out.

Freeing the pillow from my clutches, I rolled off the bed and searched for my phone. Of course, it wasn't anywhere to be found. None of my stuff was. Hopefully, it was still at Rose's house, but I couldn't say for sure. I sighed in frustration, knowing I was throwing myself back into the lion's den, and headed downstairs.

My dad was stretched back in his recliner and appeared to be resting peacefully. I tiptoed by him, careful not to make a sound, and continued into the kitchen. I reached for the phone on the wall, knowing I should call Rosalie first, but also knowing it would be Edward's number that I dialed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I jumped and spun around, coming face-to-face with my disgruntled father. "Oh, um, I was just going to call and check on Edward."

He took the phone gently from my hand and placed it back on the receiver. "I don't think so."

We stood in silence, eyes deadlocked on each other for several minutes. "Do you mind telling me why?"

He folded his arms across his chest. "Because you're not to speak to him anymore," he said matter-of-factly.

A variety of curse words ran through my mind, but I tried my best to remain calm. "That's not going to happen."

He opened his mouth to speak, but a knock at the door interrupted his concentration. I looked towards the living room and began to make my way towards the door. Charlie, however, stopped me dead in my tracks. "You stay here. I'll take care of this."

That also wasn't going to happen, and I followed him to the door. He opened it only slightly, and my eyes caught sight of the chain that was latched to prevent it from opening any further.

"You've got a lot of nerve, coming here!" Charlie said angrily to someone I could only assume to be Edward. I tried to move around him, but he was blocking me completely.

"Please, sir, I know I owe you an explanation."

My dad grunted. "Okay, then. Explain yourself."

"Oh, I…well, you see..."

"Okay, I think I understand perfectly," Charlie mocked him. "Now, I need you to understand that you are not to see or speak to my daughter anymore—"

Edward cut him off. "Sir, I'm so sorry for every—"

"In fact, you would be wise to not even look in her direction!" Charlie shouted. Apparently, he didn't take too kindly to being interrupted today, and I wondered if the neighbors were enjoying the show.

"No, Dad!" I cried as he slammed the door in Edward's face. I reached for the handle, but he remained planted firmly in front of the door. With tears streaming down my face, I turned and made a dash for the stairs.

I ran quickly to my room, as if being chased by the devil himself, and tried to unlatch the window. I caught sight of Edward, who was opening his car door, but the window wouldn't budge. It was nailed shut; I'd forgotten all about my dad's extreme preventative measures. In a final act of desperation, I pounded furiously on the glass and screamed, "Edward, wait!" in the hope that he would hear me.

For a second, I could have sworn that his eyes locked on mine, but then he proceeded to put on his seatbelt, start the car, and back away. It was as if he hadn't noticed me at all, and I watched through tear-filled eyes as the Volvo drove out of sight. Then, I moved away from the window, pressed my back flush against the wall, and slowly slid to the floor. I buried my head in my knees and let the tears flow freely.

This just couldn't be happening.

* * *

**A/N: Be sure to check out a special horror piece I wrote for Halloween. It's based on the Thriller by Micahel Jackson.**

http://www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5431983/1/Thriller

**Don't forget to review!**


	23. Truth and Consequences

**I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. However, this story belongs to me.**

**Thank you Lisa89 & SecretlySeverus for whipping this thing into shape for me! Project Team Beta rocks!**

* * *

**EPOV**

_I am so screwed._

I'd wanted to do the right thing; I'd wanted to explain myself to Charlie and apologize. While I'd known he wouldn't be very happy to see me, I had been a little surprised to see him completely fly off the handle the way he had. To tell the truth, I really hadn't thought he had it in him.

Boy, had I been wrong. So wrong.

Everything was wrong now, and I had no idea what to do about it. The sight of Bella crying and beating on her window had almost broken my heart in two. It was very shitty the way I'd ignored her, but I'd simply needed to get out of there before things had escalated any more. Charlie had made it perfectly clear that I wasn't welcome there, and respecting his wishes seemed like the least I could do for him.

Now I was driving around town aimlessly, unsure what to do next. I should probably go see Emmett and make sure Rosalie's house was in order. Then again, they were probably still pissed at me right now. I could swing by and see Jasper, but he always spent Sundays with Alice, and I didn't want to intrude on their time. I had no idea where I wanted to go.

However, the sight of my dad's car parked outside the liquor store made my decision a little more clearer. As soon as I verified that it was his, I did a U-turn in the middle of the street and swerved into an empty space next to it. I was so mad that it didn't even occur to me to shut off the engine, but I at least thought to put the Volvo in park.

I jumped out of the car, leaving the door swinging open, and hurried to the front door. Just as I was about to go in, my dad came out from the opposite end, clutching a brown bag at his side. "I didn't expect to see you so soon," he said with a smirk.

Forgoing the pleasantries, I got right up in his face. "Why are you so determined to ruin my life?"

He rubbed his bruised jaw, the smirk quickly disappearing. "Just evening the score, I suppose."

My eyes narrowed, and my nostrils flared. "What the hell does that mean?"

He snorted. "Perhaps you should go home and ask your mother."

Again, he went back to blaming my mother. I was starting to get really pissed. "When are you going to get over it? I mean, it was a long fucking time ago, and now it's in the past."

He shook his head. "It's not over when there are still so many _lingering_ reminders."

"Dad, you're not making any sense."

He raised his free hand and tried to push past me to get to his car. "Don't call me that!" he yelled as I stood my ground. "Do you hear me? I'm sick of this shit!"

"Yeah, well, I'm sick of it, too!" I yelled back at him, as he broke free of my restraint and climbed into his car. "I wish you weren't my father!"

I watched in disgust as he took a swig of whatever he had in the brown paper bag. "Good! Because as it turns out, I'm not!"

I stood there, frozen, as he brought the car to life, spun his tires as he backed up, and took off down the street.

_Not my father?_

I got back in my car and headed home, Carlisle's words running through my mind like a broken record. This was an all-time low, even for him, lying to me like that. I knew he hated me, but what kind of sick bastard denies his own son? There had to be an explanation, and I could only hope my mom could provide me with it.

When I got back to the house, I quickly shut off the car and hurried into the house.

"Mom?" I yelled as I stormed though the front door. "Mom, where are you?"

"Edward?" she replied, meeting me in the hallway. "What's wrong?"

I tightened my fists, boiling with rage as I gasped for breath, trying to calm down. "I just ran into Dad."

He face filled with worry, and she reached out a hand to place on my arm. "Please tell me you didn't get into another fight."

I shook my head and looked into her eyes. "Mom, say it's not true."

"What's not true?" she asked, confused.

I searched her face for any sign of acknowledgement or fear, but found none. I decided to press further. "He told me something very interesting regarding his and my relationship."

At that, she immediately tensed, and her eyes filled with fear. She looked away, unable to face me. "Edward, what exactly did he tell you?"

My chest felt as if I'd just been sucker-punched by a professional boxer. "I think you know exactly what he said to me." I jerked my arm from her grasp; she had given herself away already. "Come on, Mom. Think real hard. It was something about him not being my father!"

Silence filled the room as we stood there, facing each other. My whole body began to shake, my nerves getting the best of me. I waited for her to speak, hoping she'd correct me, but she said nothing. Instead, her eyes remained on the floor, her arms folded protectively around her chest as she began to sob loudly.

Finally, she tried to speak. "I—I don't even know where to begin."

"Damn it, Mom! How could you?" I screamed, not even attempting to hold back now. "How could you keep something like this from me? All these years! I never could understand how a father could treat his son so harshly, and all this time you knew the answer!" I'd always shown her the utmost respect, but I found it impossible at this moment to do so.

She tried to look at me, but the tears were blinding her. "Edward, I—"

My fist came up and connected with the wall, sending bits of plaster scattering to the floor. "MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN A LIE!"

She jumped, surprised by my outburst. She'd seen me this angry before, but never at her. Her feet buckled beneath her, and she sank to the floor. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you several times."

"Oh yeah?" I spat back at her. "Then, why didn't you?"

"Because your dad wanted to raise you as his own, and I didn't want you to hate him."

I shook my head. "No, Mom. You didn't want me to hate YOU!"

"That's not true."

"It is, and either way, you failed. I hate you both!"

I turned and walked away, not being able to take any more. By the time I got to the basement, my head felt like it was going to explode. Could this day possibly get any worse? It seemed as if my entire world had crumbled in only a matter of hours.

I collapsed on my bed and tried to sort out everything that had happened. Each situation was entirely different, but they all had one thing in common: me. It quickly became apparent that I was the real problem here. Exactly how many times my mom had cheated on Carlisle, I was no longer sure. What I did know now was that I was a product of her affairs. My very existence had helped ruin my parent's marriage, causing my dad—no, Carlisle— to suffer daily pain and humiliation, and had more than likely caused his drinking problem. Not to mention the fact that I was well on my way to destroying Bella's life.

Bella had been a sweet, innocent church girl when I'd met her. Since then, I'd caused her to smoke, drink, curse, fight, and get arrested. Not to mention the fact that I'd taken her virginity and turned her into somewhat of a sex fiend.

_The things she could do with that pretty little mouth…_

Damn it! No! This was exactly the problem. Before she'd met me, Bella would have never thought of doing those kinds of things. Now, she was running around dancing in outfits worthy of the Playboy mansion. I'd ruined her, polluted her mind and body with my sick hormonal fantasies. May God have mercy on my soul. That was, assuming I even had one.

It seemed I'd been cursed upon conception, a product of my mother's sins. That very curse was growing inside of me, poisoning everyone I loved. There was no way to save myself, but perhaps I could save the people I loved.

Slowly, the answer became clearer, and it was easy to see what I needed to do. I dug through my closet until I found my large duffle bag that was hiding in the back. I pulled it out and began stuffing it with clothes, packing them down to fit as much as possible. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to load up all my musical gear or where I was even going to go, but my mind was made up. I was leaving Forks for good.

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**A/N: Okay, so Edward is being--well, Edward. How do think this will affect Bella? **

**Please remember to leave a review. It's that one simple gesture that makes this all worthwhile.**


	24. Fade to Black

**I still do not own Twilight... Damnit!**

**Thank you Leigh & Lisa pf Project Team Beta for your time and patience on this one. **

**BPOV**

I sat down on my bed and wrapped my arms around a pillow. _Not helping_. I stood up and paced around the room. _Still not helping_. What the hell was I going to do? I had to figure out a way to see Edward. I knew my dad thoughthe can control the situation, but it was an extremely naïve idea. What Edward and I had was a force too strong for any one person to control. _He will not win_.

I sat back down on the bed and tried to form a plan. Perhaps, once Charlie was sound asleep, I could sneak downstairs and call him. It was a very simple plan, but effective nonetheless. Of course, that was assuming he didn't unplug the phone and take it to bed with him. Come to think of it, that seemed like a good possibility.

I stood up and resumed my pacing. Perhaps I could sneak out and walk to his house. It would probably take half the night, but I was sure I could make it. All I would have to do was make sure I didn't get spotted or killed in the process. _Hmm, killed. That doesn't sound good_. Maybe I could just walk to a pay phone.

I heard the sound of the bathroom door creaking shut, and I froze, waiting to see if it would be followed by the sound of running water. Seconds later, I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the glorious sound that confirmed my suspicions. Charlie was taking a shower. Now was my chance.

I tiptoed down the stairs and into the living room. Stopping only to grab my coat, I made my way out the door and began walking toward the street. I had failed to really think this through, but I realized that I no longer cared. I _had_ to get to him somehow, and I had to do it now.

_Damn, if only I hadn't left all my stuff at Rosalie's house!_

I'd never been one to rely on a cell phone, but this was an emergency. I quickened my pace, trying to put as much distance between me and the house as I could. Charlie wasn't known for spending long amounts of time in the shower, so I knew I didn't have long to try and pull this off. Seeing the street corner approaching, I paused, trying to think of the nearest convenience store with a pay phone. There was a small curb market about a half a mile down the street to the left. If I jogged the whole way, I should be able to make it.

I turned the corner and soon realized I was running like the devil himself was chasing me. Several cars sped by, and I could only imagine how I must look to them. No matter; they were the least of my worries right now. However, when one came creeping up behind me, I felt my heart skip a couple of beats.

_Just great, Bella. It's probably an ax murderer._

I kept running, picking up my pace even more and willing the car to simply go on its way. However, when the car came up right beside me, I saw the familiar silver that brought me to an abrupt stop.

_Edward._

He stopped the car in the middle of the street, and the window rolled down. "Bella, what in the hell are you doing running down the street?"

Panting and out of breath, I tried to answer. "I was… had to…" With hot tears streaming down my cheeks, I climbed into the passenger's seat and crashed into his chest. "Oh, Edward!"

His arms folded around me, and we clung to each other. "Shh. It's okay, Bella. I'm here now. Everything's okay."

I could have stayed that way forever, but I knew we had to keep moving. "Um, Edward? I think we should probably keep driving."

Without another word, he let me go and proceeded toward our destination, wherever that was. I sat back and pulled down the visor so that I could clean up my face in the mirror. However, as horrible as my reflection looked, there was something even more disturbing glaring at me in the reflection. I gasped and began to examine the car.

"What's going on? Why is your car all packed up? Are we running away?"

"No," he said with uncertainty. "Not exactly."

I started to feel nervous. Something was definitely not right here. "Well, what then? Where were you going just now?"

Edward's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "I was coming to see you, actually."

I stared at him, shocked but flattered by the gesture. "You were? Even after Charlie…"

"I was going to try." His eyes remained on the road, his face expressionless. "I didn't know what was going to happen when I got there, but I was determined to see you."

His face looked very sullen. I knew the past two day's events were wearing on all of us, but he looked too intense, as if he was mourning the death of someone. "I don't understand."

He sighed. "I know."

"So, what about this stuff in your car?" I let my eyes do a quick inventory of the contents shoved into the back of the car. There was a duffel bag overflowing with clothes, CD's, books, and a ton of musical equipment. "My God, Edward! It looks like you have all your belongings in here!"

"It's not everything, but a good portion of it," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

We continued driving around the local suburbs. Either there was no real destination, or Edward was stalling. "What are we doing?" I asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

He reached over and took my hand in his. "Bella, we need to talk."

"Yeah, I agreed. "We need a plan,"

He shook his head. "Just wait, please. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Some things have happened that I need you to know about."

_No shit_. Our world had turned into the roller coaster ride from hell in the last forty-eight hours. I hadn't even had time to process one thing before another came along. "Edward, if this about Charlie, I know how difficult he's being."

"Actually, this is about my dad."

My heart sped up. I knew that if his dad was involved, it had to be really bad. "What's Carlisle done now?"

"Yeah, um, about that," he said sarcastically. "As it turns out, Carlisle is not my real father."

"WHAT?"

He frowned. "Don't make me repeat it. This is hard enough as it is."

I stared at him incredulously, not really knowing what to say. It didn't make any sense. "But how is that even possible?"

Calmly, emotionlessly, he explained, "Esme had an affair. Well, she's had many. I kind of knew that much, but I had no idea that it had happened that long ago."

_What do you say to that?_ I was pretty sure there wasn't anything I could say that would help. I took a deep breath and said the only thing that came to mind. "Well, you seem to be handling it well."

He laughed bitterly. "I don't know about all that, but it does explain a few things."

He pressed on the gas, and I watched the houses and trees blurred as we passed by them. "How are we going to handle this?"

He turned to look at me, squeezing my hand almost to the point where it was painful. "My whole life has been a lie. How does one handle that?"

I flexed my fingers, and he took the hint, loosening his grip a little. "I have no answers, Edward." I let out a sigh, feeling completely useless at that moment. "What do you want to do about it?"

We came to a stop sign, and he turned to face me. "Bella, I have to leave. I need to get as far away from here as possible."

"To find your dad or to get away from Esme and Carlisle?"

"Both, maybe. I don't know. To find myself as well, I suppose."

I couldn't help but smile at this. Despite the bad circumstances, I was ready to get away. "Okay. So, where should we go?"

His returned his attention to the road, and we started down another street. "I don't think you understand, Bella. I can't take you with me."

My stomach churned; my heart skipped a beat. Surely I hadn't heard that right. "Wh—what do you mean? You can't leave me."

"Bella, I have to. I'm sorry, but I ha—"

"No!" I screamed, jerking my hand from his grasp. "We can't be separated. Not now, not ever." My mind started running at top speed, desperately trying to process what was happening. His words were clear enough, and yet they couldn't possibly mean what he seemed to be implying.

"I know. I feel the same way, but it's not that simple."

I began to sob. "Why not?"

"Because I _have_ to go," he said matter-of-factly.

I folded my arms across my chest, the decision finalizing within me. "Fine. Like I said, I'll go with you."

"You have to stay here. Finish school. I can't let you throw your life away."

"It's my choice," I said stubbornly.

"No."

I'd reached my breaking point. I was sick and tired of everyone in my life making all my choices for me. I got so much of that from the other people around me, and it was just too much to have Edward do it to me, too. "Don't you understand? _You_ are my life. To lose you would be throwing my life away."

The Volvo was barely creeping along at this point, Edward more focused on me than driving. "You may not see it now, but someday you'll understand why I refuse to let you screw up your life for me."

"Don't you love me?" I asked, the tears sliding down my cheeks.

He reached out and stroked my wet face, wiping the away the tears as they fell. "More than anything."

"Then don't do this. Stay. Stay here and be with me. Next summer, we'll leave here together just like we planned, and we can go find your dad. We'll do whatever you need to do." I could see his face hardening as I spoke. He was trying to stay strong, and he was so much stronger than me.

"This is something I have to do alone. Don't you see? I don't even know who I really am. My entire life has been a lie. How can I plan for the future when I don't even know the past? You say you love me, but you don't even know who I truly am!"

"That's not true." My voice cracked. "I know you."

"I don't even know me. The person I thought I was isn't real."

I felt cold all of a sudden. Very cold. "I don't believe that," I said as I felt my body start to shake.

"Believe the lie if that's what you need, but I'm not coming back until I find out the truth."

_So, he was coming back?_ That wasn't what he'd said, but it seemed to be implied. I could live with that. It would be hard, but he was worth it. "Then I guess I'll be waiting for you when you're done."

"No, Bella. I can't have you put your life on hold for me. I have no idea how long this will take. We're talking about an entire lifetime of lies here. It may be a year. Then again, it may be ten."

I looked down and placed my hands in my lap, trying not to fidget. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. I've messed up here. Everything I touch seems to turn to shit." He paused as we came to a red light, but avoided my eyes as if it hurt to look at me. "I've done enough damage to you already."

Damage? How could he even think that? He hadn't damaged me. He'd encouraged me, liberated me, awakened me, but never damaged. That is, not until now. "And you think this won't? Damage me, I mean?"

The light turned green, and he pushed down on the gas. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he mumbled.

It was then that I felt a new emotion filling me. This time it was anger. "You're sorry! That's the best you can do? I give you my heart, and you just throw it back at me like it was nothing. Well, _I'm sorry_, but sorry isn't good enough.

He winced at my outburst but remained even-tempered, almost melancholy. "You deserve so much better than me, someone who is a whole person, not just a few broken pieces."

_Screw that!_ "Don't I have a say in this?"

"Not this time."

The car slowed, and I realized we were nearing my house. "Please! Let's just keep driving for now," I begged him.

"I have to take you home, Bella."

I became frantic; everything was happening too fast. "But I'm not ready to go yet. I don't even know when I'll see you again."

He eyed me carefully as I panicked, his own pain evident on his face. "I know, but I'm pretty sure you failed to tell Charlie what you were up to. I'd hate to see us end up back at the police station."

We pulled into the driveway, and I was overcome by my emotions. I lunged at him, attacking his lips with urgency. "Edward, please don't leave me," I pleaded between kisses.

"I'm sorry," he whispered sympathetically as he held my face against his. "I'm so sorry."

All of a sudden, the passenger door opened, and we were met by a very angry, red-faced Charlie with a shotgun in his hand. "Bella, get out of the car."

The tears were pouring out of me so fast now that I could hardly see, and I clung to Edward's shirt for dear life. "Please, Edward! You can't do this to me!"

"Now, Bella," Charlie said with a voice of authority.

Edward's body stiffened, and he carefully pried my hands from his shirt. "Bella, you have to go with your father now."

I could feel strong hands gripping my waist. It was my dad, pulling me out of the car by force. I fought him with everything that I had, grasping at anything within reach. I knew my actions were useless, but I refused to let go. Edward watched silently, and I noticed he too had tears falling down his cheeks. Finally, Charlie had me completely out of the car. Just as he was closing the door, I heard Edward's voice for the last time.

"I love you, Bella."

"Edward!" I screamed as I fell to the ground, refusing to help my dad carry me, refusing to stand. I watched through my tears as the silver Volvo made its way down the street and out of my life. Edward was gone. No more silver, no more bronze, no more green. Gone.

My chest hurt… badly. I imagined the pain to be what a heart attack would feel like. It took me a moment before I realized just what it was. It was my heart, breaking into pieces. I'd always thought that was just an expression, but it was now all too real. I felt strong arms wrap around me again, scooping me up from the ground. Then I noticed the light slip away as my world faded to black.

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**A/N: So there you have it. This was an expecially difficult chapter for me to write, and it really hit home for me. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Be sure to leave me a review! Thanks for reading!**


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